ZeniMax union will guide the use of AI at the company in new agreement
ZeniMax Workers United-CWA has reached an agreement with the company that will allow it to influence how AI tools are implemented in testing.
The details:
In a new press release, the union stated that the agreement "commits ZeniMax to uses of AI that augment human ingenuity and capacities, to ensure that these tools enhance worker productivity, growth, and satisfaction without causing workers harm." ZeniMax will also be required to notify the union in advance if it intends to implement AI in a way that will negatively impact human workers and to be open to negotiations.
Six "guiding principles" for AI use have also been established, requiring the technology to be fair, reliable and safe, private and secure, inclusive, transparent, and accountable. Dylan Burton, a union member and senior QA tester, explained that the agreement is meant to "protect" employees when AI is introduced into company workflows, while workers can "hold their employers accountable."
Microsoft officially recognized the union in January 2023, which at the time included over 300 QA employees from ZeniMax studios such as Bethesda, id Software, and Arkane. The Communications Workers of America also revealed last week that the parent company had allowed 77 contractors to join the union, with 23 hired as full-time employees and the rest as part-time.
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