Artificial Intelligence for unions

the future and the revitalization of union representation in the digital age

Abstract

This article examines the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by labor unions, based on the understanding that technological revolutions directly affect labor relations and that Industry 4.0 has already transformed the dynamics of businesses, governments, and workers. Despite these changes, trade unionism has largely remained detached from this technological movement, thereby reinforcing the imbalance between capital and labor. The central hypothesis is that the strategic use of Artificial Intelligence by labor unions can strengthen their relationship with represented workers by enhancing communication, modernizing services, and partially rebalancing social forces, particularly in collective bargaining. This qualitative and doctrinal study adopts the deductive method, combining a literature review with the author's practical experience. The article discusses AI applications in union communication, collective bargaining, administrative services, secretarial activities, financial management, and accountability. It also explores the possibility of partnerships to facilitate access to relevant databases. The main argument is that, although AI has largely developed as a tool serving capital, it can be appropriated by the labor movement as an instrument for revitalizing worker representation, provided that its use is properly supervised and guided by ethical principles. The study concludes that AI cannot replace the political role or the human interaction of union leaders with their membership, but it offers significant potential to strengthen trade unionism and reinforce its legitimacy in contemporary society.