Testimony to regulate AI use in workplace heard at state capitol
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Lawmakers on the legislature's Labor Committee heard testimony on a bill to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace.
The bill would put protections around the use of A.I. tools to monitor and evaluate workers, including mandatory disclosures and third-party reviews.
Lamont approves $3 million in funding for nonprofits
'The main thing is transparency – that people are aware of when artificial intelligence is being used,' State Sen. Julie Kushner, the Democratic co-chair of the Labor Committee, said.
The bill is also strongly backed by labor unions, with the head of the state's AFL-CIO warning against 'dyspotic' applications of unchecked artificial intelligence in the workplace.
'Imagine your boss looking over your shoulder every single day, not blinking once, and being able to correct you every time you do something that they believe is wrong,' Hawthorne said. 'That is something that we should be aware of if it's implemented.'
But Republicans and the state's largest business advocacy organization are cautioning against overregulating an emerging industry – one that the Democratic governor has been keen to promote.
The Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) zeroed on the provision of the bill that requires third-party reviews for some A.I. applications.
'This could cost tens of thousands of dollars potentially when we're talking about small businesses that would really struggle,' Paul Amarone, CBIA's advocacy and outreach manager, said.
State Sen. Rob Sampson, the ranking Republican on the Labor Committee, echoed concerns that the bill over regulates an emerging industry, calling the bill 'overkill.'
'We've got regulation after regulation sending a big neon sign to employers in the state to turn around and leave,' Sampson said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Most Americans Think Trump's Parade Is a Huge Waste of Money
Six in 10 Americans don't think that a $45 million military parade on President Donald Trump's birthday is a good use of taxpayer money, according to an Associated Press poll. The extravaganza, which will feature as many as 25 tanks rolling through the streets of Washington, D.C., is slated for June 14—the day Trump turns 79. The parade is billed as a 250th-anniversary celebration of the U.S. Army's founding. Just 40 percent of Americans polled by the AP approved of the lavish celebration, while 29 percent disapproved and the rest were neutral. Along political lines, only 20 percent of Democrats approved, in contrast with 67 percent of Republicans. When it came to the price tag, 80 percent of Democrats and 72 percent of Independents did not think it was worthwhile spending. Republicans were of a different mind—nearly two thirds signed off on the hefty bill. The parade will feature approximately 8,000 soldiers marching alongside the tanks. Its cost includes a new paint job for the tanks and repairing D.C. roads not equipped to bear their weight. On Tuesday, Trump offered a bizarre justification for the parade: without the military, Americans would have lost WWII and would now be speaking German or Japanese. 'If it weren't for us, you would be speaking German right now, ok?' he told reporters in the Oval Office. 'You might be speaking Japanese, too. You might be speaking a combination of both.' 'It's gonna be an amazing day,' Trump added. 'We'll have tanks, we'll have planes, we'll have all sorts of things. I think it's gonna be great.' Despite the president's enthusiasm, not many of his Republican colleagues are planning to attend. Out of 50 surveyed by Politico, just seven said they would go—including, of course, Trump diehard Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The army anticipates that 200,000 people will attend.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
'No Kings' Protests See Major Crowds, Violence in Some States
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Demonstrators turned out across the U.S. on Saturday to participate in coordinated "No Kings Day" protests, aimed at denouncing President Donald Trump's leadership. While many of the events reportedly remained largely peaceful, several cities saw violent altercations, including a vehicular assault in Virginia and a shooting in Utah. Why It Matters The protests took place in hundreds of U.S. cities, according to Reuters, with large-scale gatherings reported in major hubs such as Philadelphia; Los Angeles; Austin, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and New York. The rallies coincided with the president's 79th birthday and the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary parade in Washington D.C. Protesters carry a banner representing the U.S. Constitution in downtown Los Angeles during a "No Kings Day" demonstration on June 14, 2025. Protesters carry a banner representing the U.S. Constitution in downtown Los Angeles during a "No Kings Day" demonstration on June 14, To Know In Portland, Oregon, officers deployed tear gas and flash grenades, with demonstrators breaching an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, according to the Daily Mail, which reported that four police officers were injured during the clashes. In Culpeper, Virginia, a 21-year-old man, Joseph R. Checklick Jr., was arrested after allegedly driving his SUV into a dispersing crowd in a parking lot, striking at least one person. Meanwhile, in Salt Lake City, shots were fired during a No Kings march, critically injuring one person. KUTV reported that police took a person of interest into custody after the shooting, which occurred downtown just before 8 p.m., according to the outlet. Despite clashes at some, local reports from around the country noted that many of the demonstrations were large, but peaceful. Protests also took place in cities such as Detroit, and Chicago, where marchers held signs including "Deport Trump to Hell" and "America Is the Land of Immigrants." In Washington D.C., demonstrators wheeled a caricature of Trump wearing a crown and sitting on a golden toilet, the Daily Mail reported. What People Are Saying The San Diego Police Department said on X, formerly Twitter, following protests on Saturday: "You stayed classy, San Diego. Thank you to the thousands who demonstrated peacefully today. No arrests, and no incidents." WGN News Reporter Courtney Spinelli posted on X, Saturday: "Police estimate the crowd at the "No Kings" protest in Chicago was ~15,000 deep. Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling: 'What I saw from the start, was a bunch of people that came out here to exercise their first amendment right. They were very peaceful, very complimentary of the officers.' Republican congressional candidate Lily Tang Williams said on X, Saturday: "We ran into the first 'No Kings' protest in Fort Lauderdale, FL. It is peaceful so far, police officers are present, traffic is slow. I heard Miami might have bigger one. Be careful out there and stay calm!" Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said on X, Saturday: "30,000 people showed up across our city to exercise their constitutional right to peaceful protest today—that's powerful. A curfew is in effect in Downtown Los Angeles to stop bad actors who do not care about immigrants' rights. Get home safe, LA." What Happens Next Whether more protests are held in response to Trump's policies remains to be seen.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Infighting jeopardizes hopes of Democratic comeback
Intraparty fighting is threatening to stall the Democratic Party's efforts to rebuild seven months after President Trump's sweeping general election victory. The party has also been roiled by revelations and questions about the last months of former President Biden's administration and whether he was in the midst of a cognitive decline. They also will have to contend with a number of high-profile primaries in the year ahead. And ousted Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg has been at the center of controversy, using his political group to challenge incumbent House Democrats. History suggests Democrats have a chance to win back the House in next year's midterm elections, since the president's party usually uses seats in such cycles. But the multiple fractures for Democrats are a real risk. Some Democrats acknowledge the bad vibes hanging over the party, even as they argued things are brighter than they appear. 'The narrative right now is we're a bunch of losers running around like chickens with our heads cut off and I don't think that's the case,' said Mike Nellis, a Democratic strategist and former senior adviser to former Vice President Kamala Harris. He suggested some of the party's problems are just typical after a lost presidential election. 'We are a party out of power without a standard-bearer and that isn't going to change until the presidential election,' he said. Democratic infighting spilled onto center stage earlier this week when recording a recent DNC call was leaked, revealing DNC Chair Ken Martin venting about his frustration with Hogg — who denies being the source behind the leak. The audio came out just before DNC officials were set to vote virtually on whether to redo the vice chair elections. Later in the week, DNC members voted to redo the vice chair elections of Hogg and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D). Hogg said after the vote that he would not seek the position again, saying he would focus on his group, Leaders We Deserve. 'It is going to remain my No. 1 mission to build the strongest party possible,' Hogg said. But in a subsequent series of social media posts following the committee's vote, Hogg alleged that Democratic Party leaders had been 'asleep at the wheel.' 'It became clear that Leaders We Deserve had to start primarying incumbents and directly challenging the culture of seniority politics that brought our party to this place to help get our party into fighting shape again,' Hogg said. Many Democrats have expressed public frustration with Hogg over the past few weeks, though Nellis said its importance is overstated. 'That is typical, classic, internal party fighting that happens everywhere and it gets outsized attention to its importance,' he said. 'Could our messaging be stronger? Yeah. Could we be more forceful in the way we're approaching these fights? Absolutely. But we are a unified party and we are fighting the worst of what Donald Trump is doing,' he continued. Democrats point to a slew of special election victories that have taken place within the first months of Trump's second administration as evidence the party is already hitting back and galvanizing against the administration. Last month, Douglas County, Neb., Treasurer John Ewing Jr. (D) ousted incumbent Omaha Republican Mayor Jean Stothert in a special election. That win followed a flipped Iowa state Senate seat in January and a win in an open Pennsylvania state Senate seat in March that Trump comfortably won in November. 'Some people in DC just want to win the argument, but I'm focused on winning elections. Since the start of the year, Democrats have an unprecedented track record of 30 wins and overperformances in races across the country, and up and down the ballot,' Martin said in a statement to The Hill. 'That's what I was elected to do, and we're doing it. Now, we are laser focused on winning in November 2025 and the midterms in 2026.' Still, with DNC tensions laid bare and finger-pointing over Biden's presidency persisting, Democrats have looked anything but unified from the outside. Democrats push back on the notion that they are the only party that is facing disunity at this moment, pointing to disagreements among Republicans on Trump's legislative agenda and the very public falling out between Trump and billionaire businessman Elon Musk. Amid his feud with Musk last week, Trump's approval rating in the Decision Desk HQ/The Hill average ticked down to 47.5 percent, 2 points less than his disapproval rating of 49.5 percent. 'Donald Trump has had the two worst weeks of his presidential term,' Nellis said, referring to recent economic data and Trump's feud with Musk. 'And immediately Donald Trump decides to execute an attempt to change the conversation to immigration and as always, he's taken it too far.' Trump's move to deploy troops to Los Angeles this week, coupled with Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) being forcibly removed from a press conference featuring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, has served as a unifying moment for Democrats against Trump. 'If it's framed as immigration, Trump wins that argument. This is not about immigration, this is about government overreach,' Nellis said. Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright said it was time for Democrats to take back the narrative on the issue. 'I think it's one of those issues where we're going to have to grab the microphone on and let the other side know that they don't control the issue,' he said. 'I do think that bread and butter pocketbook issues are still going to run the day.' The first major test of Democrats' unity will come in November in Virginia and New Jersey's off-year elections. While the two elections do not always act as an accurate barometer ahead of the midterms, statewide wins would give Democrats a needed boost in making their 2026 argument. 'Everything has to be about our electoral success, expanding the map, as well as growing and strengthening our coalition,' Seawright said. 'I think in this moment we'll be judged every step along the way before 2028.'
