Technology Journalists Win Protections Against AI

By Jason Nelson

Journalists from Mashable, PCMag, and Lifehacker scored a victory against the encroachment of artificial intelligence with a new contract that guarantees they will not lose their jobs or pay to generative AI, the NewsGuild-CWA announced on Monday. The writers have been working without a contract since April 1.

The news of the contract comes as the unionized journalists were prepared to walk off the job during Amazon’s annual Prime Day, one of the busiest periods for covering technology and e-commerce.

The deal was negotiated between the 62-member Ziff Davis Creators Guild and Ziff Davis, which owns dozens of media properties and brands covering technology, health, entertainment, and shopping. The guild representing journalists at the three tech publications is part of a larger New York chapter of the News Guild-CWA, which works with unions at 137 outlets across the country.

Members will receive a guaranteed increase of 3% along with a 1% merit increase in the first year. In the second year, the guaranteed increase remains 3%, with a 0.5% merit increase. By the third year, the guaranteed increase is adjusted to 2.5%, with an additional 1% merit increase.

The contract also guarantees a salary floor of $65,000, and includes retroactive raises dating back to April 1, when the previous contract expired.

Aside from a pay increase, the new contract protects journalists from the threat of losing their jobs to generative AI and gives them a say if and when generative AI is implemented.

“Members will be part of an AI subcommittee, which will evaluate the use of generative AI technology and discuss plans, opportunities, and issues regarding its implementation as well as its ongoing management,” the NewsGuild wrote. “If the company intends to implement generative AI tools that would assist in the creation of editorial work and impact the work of union members, the committee would be given reasonable notice and an opportunity to discuss first.”

Members of the union will vote on whether to ratify the deal on July 24. The News Guild did not immediately respond to requests for comments by Decrypt.

“There’s a phrase we use a lot in our union: ‘When we fight, we win,’” NewsGuild of New York treasurer Anthony Napoli said in a statement. “This tentative agreement is exactly what we mean.”

“Our Ziff Davis Creators Guild members came together and worked hard to show management that they would not back down until they achieved this deal—and they did,” he continued.

Last year, failed contract negotiations between the members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) led to a five-month strike that ground Hollywood productions to a halt. One of the sticking points around the negotiations was the use of generative AI in the writer’s room.

"We understand it's not something we can walk away from," screenwriter and TV producer Josh Friedman told Decrypt outside the historic Paramount Pictures lot in Los Angeles when the strike first started. "We're here."

SAG-AFTRA soon joined the WGA after their negotiations fell apart.

"[Generative AI] is a 'now' problem," Friedman continued. "I don't think we're far away from AI-directed material. Everyone should be concerned about it."

In September, the WGA and AMPTP reached an agreement to end the strike that included guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence, including that it can not be used to write or rewrite material or be considered source material.

Edited by Ryan Ozawa.

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