ACTU secretary Melissa Donnelly calls for worker consultation on AI

Melissa Donnelly, the new secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), has called for workers to be consulted regarding the implementation of artificial intelligence in the workplace. Speaking in her first major media interviews since taking the role, Donnelly emphasized that employees deserve a voice in how AI is used to address concerns regarding job security and the potential for creative work to be misappropriated.

Donnelly, formerly the national secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), also issued a warning regarding the political landscape, stating that embracing One Nation policies would have a severe detrimental impact on the cost of living for Australians. She advocated for stronger guardrails and increased consultation to manage the uncertainty surrounding new technologies.