TUC Cymru welcomes plans for worker-led transition to AI

TUC Cymru has welcomed First Minister Eluned Morgan’s announcement that a re-elected Welsh Labour Government will place workers and unions at the centre of its artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology strategy.

The First Minister made the pledge during her speech at the Welsh Labour Conference in Llandudno on 28th June, outlining a future where AI is developed and deployed with fairness and public service values at its core.

Key proposals include ensuring that every secondary school in Wales offers cutting-edge AI and digital skills, the creation of AI centres of excellence that bring together further and higher education, industry, and trade unions, and building on the Workforce Partnership Council’s landmark agreement on tech in the workplace.

A Public Sector AI Framework, developed with the Social Partnership Council and rooted in fairness, will underpin these commitments.

A cornerstone of the approach is a clear message from the First Minister: “If your tech doesn’t meet Welsh standards, it doesn’t belong in Welsh public life.”

The First Minister also announced that Wales will host a new AI Growth Zone, described as “a place where fair work, cutting-edge technology, and ethical design come together.”

TUC Cymru general secretary, Shavanah Tajm said: “It’s good to see that workers and unions are at the heart of the Eluned Morgan’s plans for AI.

“The new technology can bring many benefits but, in order that these are realised, and that workers and service users share them, the union voice is essential.