The AI Debate Inside The New York Times
The question of how newsrooms should use artificial intelligence—or if they should use it at all—has become a central debate in the media industry. As unions and publishers negotiate these rules, employees at The New York Times are preparing for a significant confrontation over AI-driven performance monitoring.
Union Claims Contract Violations Over AI Tools
Unionized staff with the Tech Guild, a unit of the NewsGuild of New York representing around 700 software engineers, designers, product managers, and data analysts, allege that Times management is violating their collective bargaining agreement. The union has filed grievances and an unfair labor practice charge, claiming the company introduced two internal AI tools—DX and Glean—without proper notification or bargaining.
What is DX?
DX is an engineering productivity tool that tracks employee output, generative AI usage, and efficiency. Initially presented as a way to improve the developer experience, the union says DX data has become personalized, with individual benchmarks used in disciplinary conversations. Ben Harnett, a software engineer and chair of the unit's generative AI committee, notes that metrics like pull request frequency are being cited against staff, flattening complex engineering work into opaque quotas.
What is Glean?
Glean is an internal search tool that aggregates data from wikis, GitHub, Google Docs, and emails. While designed to help employees find information, the Tech Guild fears it can also be used to monitor worker contributions. Harnett warns that managers could query Glean to assess individual performance, and recent disciplinary notices appear to have been generated using the tool. The union argues that using these tools amounts to deploying surveillance and monitoring technology against workers.
Legal and Labor Actions
Both the Tech Guild and the larger Times Guild—representing 1,500 editorial, ad sales, and support staff—have filed unfair labor practice charges. They accuse the Times of refusing to provide information about AI use and its impact on jobs. The company has not responded to specific questions about DX and Glean but stated via spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha that it will address grievances through normal contractual processes.
Broader Industry Context
AI is a pressing issue in union negotiations across the media industry. In April, 150 unionized employees at ProPublica walked off the job for 24 hours, with AI use and disclosure as key sticking points. At McClatchy, some staff withheld bylines after the company introduced a generative AI tool that produces different story versions. The Times Guild is currently bargaining for robust AI protections, including requirements that humans oversee any AI tool, transparent labeling of AI-generated journalism, and compensation for AI model training deals.
Workers Seek a Voice in AI Deployment
Harnett emphasizes that the Tech Guild is not anti-AI but believes workers should have a say in how it is deployed. Metrics that track token usage or AI frequency create pressure to do more, potentially distracting from quality work. The union's stance is that employee input is crucial to ensuring AI tools are used ethically and effectively.
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