New York (TIP) – The top U.S. securities regulator has ruled that Apple and Disney cannot avoid shareholder votes about the use of artificial intelligence proposed by a labor group.
In a January 3 notice, the US Securities and Exchange Commission rejected a request by the iPhone maker and the entertainment giant to exclude from its upcoming annual meetings a call for reports on the use of AI.
Corporations have adopted new technology for its promised efficiencies. But this trend has raised fears that it will replace many creative and professional workers or unfairly take over their jobs, issues recently highlighted in Hollywood labor disputes and the recent New York Times lawsuit. Are. Similar shareholder proposals were filed by the pension trust of the largest US labor union federation, the AFL-CIO, which also has AI measures pending at four other technology companies. In Apple, the group asked for a report on the company’s “use of AI in its business operations and disclosure of any ethical guidelines the company has adopted regarding its use of AI technology.” In a similar request, it also asked Disney to report on its board’s role in overseeing the use of AI.
In its support statement at Apple, the AFL-CIO wrote that “AI systems should not be trained on copyrighted works, or the voices, likenesses, and performances of professional artists, without transparency, consent, and compensation to creators and rights holders. “
Brandon Reese, deputy director of the AFL-CIO’s investment office, said the SEC’s ruling could pave the way for settlements with Apple and Disney that would bring them in line with AI disclosures from other companies like Microsoft.
In contrast, Apple and Disney “haven’t even begun to grapple with these ethical issues” around AI, Rees said.
Apple and Disney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Both companies had argued that the proposals could be removed from their ballots because they were related to “normal business operations”, such as the company’s choice of technologies.
The SEC disagreed. “In our view, the proposal goes beyond normal business matters and does not seek to micromanage the company,” the agency wrote in separate letters. Source: Reuters