Fed up with AI? Join the club: Here’s how you can become a conscientious objector and fight back

Are you sick and tired of listening to people talking about “artificial intelligence this” and “AI that”? If so, join the club. Quite literally.

There are plenty of people out there who are not exactly fans of the technology. Most dissenters see AI as a threat to their profession, although there are also economic and environmental reasons for being skeptical.

When speaking up at work can backfire

In a work context, Sigal Samuel, who writes about the future of consciousness and the ethical implications of artificial intelligence for Vox, believes that fighting AI alone is a recipe for disaster.

“If you as an individual object to your company’s AI use, you become legible to the company as a ‘problem’ employee,” Samuel explains. “There could be consequences to that, and I don’t want to see you lose your paycheck.”

That makes sense, considering AI’s increasingly common role in most workplaces. However, that doesn’t mean you should simply give up.

Why teaming up matters

Instead, Samuel recommends pulling together with likeminded individuals at your workplace, which gives you a much better chance of getting your concerns heard.

“Unionize,” Samuel advises, citing the Writers Guild of America and National Nurses United as examples of organizations that have successfully challenged the use of AI in their sectors. “If your workplace can be organized, that’ll be a key strategy for allowing you to fight AI policies you disagree with.”

You may, however, see an obvious problem. What if none of your colleagues are on the same page?

Finding allies beyond your office

On a more general level, Samuel recommends getting involved with the Algorithmic Justice League, which says it is “leading a cultural movement toward equitable and accountable AI.” Its mission is to “empower communities and galvanize decision makers to take action that mitigates the harms and biases of AI.”

Similarly, Fight for the Future is a group of artists, engineers, activists and technologists pushing “for a future where technology is a force for liberation, not oppression.”

Finally, Samuel highlights Stop Gen AI, a mutual aid and political activism platform that has already attracted hundreds of workers, many of whom have lost their jobs because of AI.

So if you are ready to take the fight to artificial intelligence, don’t back down. But it may be wise to have safety in numbers.

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