Nearly 70 percent of US agencies use generative AI, and unions are finally catching up with guardrails

US public-sector unions are securing protections against AI surveillance and automation-driven job losses, as an Ernst and Young survey shows nearly 70 percent of US government agencies already use generative AI. Recent wins include retraining instead of AI-related layoffs for IFPTE Local 21 in Oakland, guaranteed human oversight during a ChatGPT Enterprise pilot for SEIU Local 668 in Pennsylvania, and veto power over autonomous vehicles for the Transport Workers Union in Ohio. California's governor banned AI surveillance software and automated firings in September, and New York has protected state employees from AI displacement by law since late 2025.