Tim Newman
@tnewmsblues.bsky.social
Labor + Tech | Currently @techequity.bsky.social | Formerly Coworker(.)org, Coworker Solidarity Fund, Change(.)org, International Labor Rights Forum
Pinned
Tim Newman
@tnewmsblues.bsky.social
· Mar 17
Let’s honor the breakthrough Tim’s in popular culture of late. We are doing great!
“Companies that use AI regularly turn to overseas workers to train algorithms, often bc labor is cheaper than hiring domestically. But Flock’s business—creating a surveillance system that constantly monitors US residents’ movements—means footage might be more sensitive than other AI training jobs”
December 1, 2025 at 3:13 PM
“Companies that use AI regularly turn to overseas workers to train algorithms, often bc labor is cheaper than hiring domestically. But Flock’s business—creating a surveillance system that constantly monitors US residents’ movements—means footage might be more sensitive than other AI training jobs”
Reposted by Tim Newman
"Billionaires, tech titans and their opponents are amassing multimillion-dollar war chests for a chaotic, bruising battle over AI regulation ahead of the 2026 midterm elections."
Tech Titans Amass Multimillion-Dollar War Chests to Fight AI Regulation
Some are battling state AI laws and threatening to punish candidates who oppose rapid deployment of the technology.
www.wsj.com
November 29, 2025 at 12:32 PM
"Billionaires, tech titans and their opponents are amassing multimillion-dollar war chests for a chaotic, bruising battle over AI regulation ahead of the 2026 midterm elections."
"Silvia says she uses the glasses in her job as a schoolteacher. She was so keen for hands-free access to AI during classroom lessons that she bought her Displays at a huge markup on eBay-spending $1,200-after they sold out at stores” Paging @hypervisible.blacksky.app
www.reuters.com/business/big...
www.reuters.com/business/big...
November 29, 2025 at 5:55 AM
"Silvia says she uses the glasses in her job as a schoolteacher. She was so keen for hands-free access to AI during classroom lessons that she bought her Displays at a huge markup on eBay-spending $1,200-after they sold out at stores” Paging @hypervisible.blacksky.app
www.reuters.com/business/big...
www.reuters.com/business/big...
Reposted by Tim Newman
"We can’t rely on our management chain for sound or data-driven decisions anymore. They’re making us use AI even when it doesn’t make sense...When the AI bubble pops, Amazon will have taken over a huge amount of land, water, and wealth...the public needs to know."
November 26, 2025 at 7:14 PM
"We can’t rely on our management chain for sound or data-driven decisions anymore. They’re making us use AI even when it doesn’t make sense...When the AI bubble pops, Amazon will have taken over a huge amount of land, water, and wealth...the public needs to know."
Reposted by Tim Newman
“These layoffs are basically theatre. They want potential customers to think AWS’s AI services are so amazing that they'll be able to cut costs by laying off workers too. And they want workers to think we’re replaceable, so that we’ll work crazy hours."
November 26, 2025 at 7:14 PM
“These layoffs are basically theatre. They want potential customers to think AWS’s AI services are so amazing that they'll be able to cut costs by laying off workers too. And they want workers to think we’re replaceable, so that we’ll work crazy hours."
Reposted by Tim Newman
“‘AI’ is being used as a magic word that is code for less worker power, hoarding of more resources, and making an uninformed gamble on high energy demand computer chips magically saving us from climate change."
More than 1,000 Amazon workers warn rapid AI rollout threatens jobs and climate
Workers say the firm’s ‘warp-speed’ approach fuels pressure, layoffs and rising emissions
www.theguardian.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:24 AM
“‘AI’ is being used as a magic word that is code for less worker power, hoarding of more resources, and making an uninformed gamble on high energy demand computer chips magically saving us from climate change."
GAO report on bossware: "Stress, anxiety, depression, and other negative mental health effects can result from lack of transparency, continuous surveillance, and productivity monitoring" www.gao.gov/products/gao...
www.gao.gov
November 27, 2025 at 3:15 PM
GAO report on bossware: "Stress, anxiety, depression, and other negative mental health effects can result from lack of transparency, continuous surveillance, and productivity monitoring" www.gao.gov/products/gao...
Folks, you really have to read the methodology of these kinds of studies before you draw and conclusions from headlines. There are a lot of methodological assumptions baked into this analysis.
iceberg.mit.edu/report.pdf
iceberg.mit.edu/report.pdf
![Skills Required by Occupations : The O*NET Database [19] provides both quantitative and qualitative skill requirements across 923 occupations. Numerical ratings cover Work Activities (41 behaviors like "Analyzing Data," "Interacting with Computers"), Skills (35 capacities like "Programming," "Critical Thinking"), and Knowledge areas (33 domains like "Economics and Accounting," "Engineering and Technology") with importance ratings (1-5 scale) and level ratings (0-7 scale) based on expert analyst assessments and incumbent worker surveys. Rich textual descriptions capture daily work activities, work values, cognitive/psychomotor/technical requirements, and detailed task descriptions that reveal what workers actually do beyond numerical scores. Categorical classifications include work context factors, education requirements, and physical demands. This multi-modal approach captures both measurable skill requirements and qualitative aspects of work that together define what each occupation entails. AI System Capabilities: We catalog over 13,000 production-ready AI tools from Model Context Protocol implementations (software development tools), the Zapier automation platform (workflow systems), and the OpenTools directory (specialized applications). These represent AI capabilities that can be packaged into deployable systems for specific occupational contexts, rather than raw frontier model performance on academic benchmarks. To align these tools with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) skill taxonomy, we develop a semi-automated mapping pipeline. Specifically, we use in-context learning with large language models to infer which skills each tool can perform, based on its task descriptions and metadata. For calibration, we split 600 occupations as training prompts and reserve 300 occupations for validation, enabling the model to learn skill-task correspondences from human-labeled BLS tasks. This hit the alt text character limit, see link in the post for full text.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:v7hxrviu42jr2gzqcdi4uyvr/bafkreigq3naqgpjtsajaxtanthguw2evjlz7qnqkhl6efgslylumryquiu@jpeg)
November 27, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Folks, you really have to read the methodology of these kinds of studies before you draw and conclusions from headlines. There are a lot of methodological assumptions baked into this analysis.
iceberg.mit.edu/report.pdf
iceberg.mit.edu/report.pdf
It’s really going to take workers to save companies from themselves when they are so intent on flushing billions of dollars down the drain in pursuit of “automation technology”
"Kroger will shutter 3 robotic e-commerce fulfillment facilities in a sharp turnabout. Until recently it expressed confidence in its ability to leverage automation... the course-correction will be expensive, forcing Kroger to incur charges of about $2.6 billion." www.grocerydive.com/news/kroger-...
Kroger acknowledges that its bet on robotics went too far
The retailer’s decision to close three automated fulfillment centers reflects the stark changes in grocery e-commerce that have taken place in the years since it launched its partnership with Ocado.
www.grocerydive.com
November 26, 2025 at 11:41 PM
It’s really going to take workers to save companies from themselves when they are so intent on flushing billions of dollars down the drain in pursuit of “automation technology”
"Kroger will shutter 3 robotic e-commerce fulfillment facilities in a sharp turnabout. Until recently it expressed confidence in its ability to leverage automation... the course-correction will be expensive, forcing Kroger to incur charges of about $2.6 billion." www.grocerydive.com/news/kroger-...
Kroger acknowledges that its bet on robotics went too far
The retailer’s decision to close three automated fulfillment centers reflects the stark changes in grocery e-commerce that have taken place in the years since it launched its partnership with Ocado.
www.grocerydive.com
November 26, 2025 at 11:37 PM
"Kroger will shutter 3 robotic e-commerce fulfillment facilities in a sharp turnabout. Until recently it expressed confidence in its ability to leverage automation... the course-correction will be expensive, forcing Kroger to incur charges of about $2.6 billion." www.grocerydive.com/news/kroger-...
Reposted by Tim Newman
Amazon Employees for Climate Justice says that over 1,000 workers have signed a petition raising “serious concerns” about the company’s “aggressive rollout” of artificial intelligence tools. www.wired.com/story/amazon...
Amazon Workers Issue Warning About Company’s ‘All-Costs-Justified’ Approach to AI Development
Amazon Employees for Climate Justice says that over 1,000 workers have signed a petition raising “serious concerns” about the company’s “aggressive rollout” of artificial intelligence tools.
www.wired.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Amazon Employees for Climate Justice says that over 1,000 workers have signed a petition raising “serious concerns” about the company’s “aggressive rollout” of artificial intelligence tools. www.wired.com/story/amazon...
Reposted by Tim Newman
"People who are immersed in AI often have surprisingly old-fashioned habits, from meeting notes on paper to inputting calendar entries manually. Some of the duties that the rest of us are most inclined to give to bots are things AI super users insist on doing themselves." www.wsj.com/tech/ai/why-...
Why AI Workers Won’t Let Bots Do the Most Basic Tasks
People immersed in artificial intelligence sometimes take an old-school approach to work.
www.wsj.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:14 PM
"People who are immersed in AI often have surprisingly old-fashioned habits, from meeting notes on paper to inputting calendar entries manually. Some of the duties that the rest of us are most inclined to give to bots are things AI super users insist on doing themselves." www.wsj.com/tech/ai/why-...
“By reinvesting AI-driven productivity gains into the upskilling that employees are demanding, companies can prove they see their people as partners in transformation & build trust”
Quick Q: if you use tech for productivity gains, do you want “upskilling” or cash?
www.cfodive.com/news/fear-of...
Quick Q: if you use tech for productivity gains, do you want “upskilling” or cash?
www.cfodive.com/news/fear-of...
Fear of AI-driven job displacement nearly doubles in a year: KPMG
The finding comes as two U.S. senators are pushing legislation that would require some AI-related layoffs to be reported to the Labor Department.
www.cfodive.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:55 PM
“By reinvesting AI-driven productivity gains into the upskilling that employees are demanding, companies can prove they see their people as partners in transformation & build trust”
Quick Q: if you use tech for productivity gains, do you want “upskilling” or cash?
www.cfodive.com/news/fear-of...
Quick Q: if you use tech for productivity gains, do you want “upskilling” or cash?
www.cfodive.com/news/fear-of...
Reposted by Tim Newman
Huge news about a very niche issue I’ve been obsessed with for over a year:
The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency awarded a $708M data labeling contract for Project Maven to Enabled Intelligence rather than Scale AI www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Here’s more on why this is so interesting!
The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency awarded a $708M data labeling contract for Project Maven to Enabled Intelligence rather than Scale AI www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Here’s more on why this is so interesting!
November 25, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Huge news about a very niche issue I’ve been obsessed with for over a year:
The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency awarded a $708M data labeling contract for Project Maven to Enabled Intelligence rather than Scale AI www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Here’s more on why this is so interesting!
The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency awarded a $708M data labeling contract for Project Maven to Enabled Intelligence rather than Scale AI www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Here’s more on why this is so interesting!
Huge news about a very niche issue I’ve been obsessed with for over a year:
The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency awarded a $708M data labeling contract for Project Maven to Enabled Intelligence rather than Scale AI www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Here’s more on why this is so interesting!
The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency awarded a $708M data labeling contract for Project Maven to Enabled Intelligence rather than Scale AI www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Here’s more on why this is so interesting!
November 25, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Huge news about a very niche issue I’ve been obsessed with for over a year:
The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency awarded a $708M data labeling contract for Project Maven to Enabled Intelligence rather than Scale AI www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Here’s more on why this is so interesting!
The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency awarded a $708M data labeling contract for Project Maven to Enabled Intelligence rather than Scale AI www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Here’s more on why this is so interesting!
Reposted by Tim Newman
Just after becoming billionaires, the cofounders of Mercor slashed the contract positions of the people who helped them achieve that monumental feat.
Only to allegedly try to hire them back for less money. www.forbes.com/sites/iainma...
@forbes.com @iainmartin.bsky.social
Only to allegedly try to hire them back for less money. www.forbes.com/sites/iainma...
@forbes.com @iainmartin.bsky.social
Mercor Contractors Allege The AI Company Slashed Their Wages
Mercor allegedly canned an AI training project with thousands of contractors just weeks after hitting a $10 billion valuation.
www.forbes.com
November 24, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Just after becoming billionaires, the cofounders of Mercor slashed the contract positions of the people who helped them achieve that monumental feat.
Only to allegedly try to hire them back for less money. www.forbes.com/sites/iainma...
@forbes.com @iainmartin.bsky.social
Only to allegedly try to hire them back for less money. www.forbes.com/sites/iainma...
@forbes.com @iainmartin.bsky.social
"Trump faces an unexpected rift in the MAGA movement as Republican officials from statehouses to Capitol Hill warn his full-throated embrace of the tech industry’s AI boom risks undermining Americans’ economic security and exposing their children to new harms." www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
The surprising issue driving a wedge between Trump and his MAGA base
President Donald Trump’s attempt to block states from regulating AI sparked pushback from Republicans concerned the tech will displace workers and harm kids.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 23, 2025 at 4:54 PM
"Trump faces an unexpected rift in the MAGA movement as Republican officials from statehouses to Capitol Hill warn his full-throated embrace of the tech industry’s AI boom risks undermining Americans’ economic security and exposing their children to new harms." www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Tim Newman
November 23, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Karly Hartzman of Wednesday: ideal rock star 🔥
🎂Played last show of tour on her birthday
🍉Spoke eloquently about solidarity w Palestine as a Jewish person
✊Supported 9:30 staff unionizing w @unitehere.org @iatse.bsky.social
🏛️Went to the punk rock flea and shouted out @freedcproject.bsky.social 🤘
🎂Played last show of tour on her birthday
🍉Spoke eloquently about solidarity w Palestine as a Jewish person
✊Supported 9:30 staff unionizing w @unitehere.org @iatse.bsky.social
🏛️Went to the punk rock flea and shouted out @freedcproject.bsky.social 🤘
November 23, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Karly Hartzman of Wednesday: ideal rock star 🔥
🎂Played last show of tour on her birthday
🍉Spoke eloquently about solidarity w Palestine as a Jewish person
✊Supported 9:30 staff unionizing w @unitehere.org @iatse.bsky.social
🏛️Went to the punk rock flea and shouted out @freedcproject.bsky.social 🤘
🎂Played last show of tour on her birthday
🍉Spoke eloquently about solidarity w Palestine as a Jewish person
✊Supported 9:30 staff unionizing w @unitehere.org @iatse.bsky.social
🏛️Went to the punk rock flea and shouted out @freedcproject.bsky.social 🤘
Reposted by Tim Newman
Our very own @brookh.bsky.social and @kristap.bsky.social shared with Varsha Bansal the concerns they have with AI from the perspective of workers who are fine-tuning it.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Meet the AI workers who tell their friends and family to stay away from AI
When the people making AI seem trustworthy are the ones who trust it the least, it shows that incentives for speed are overtaking safety, experts say
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Our very own @brookh.bsky.social and @kristap.bsky.social shared with Varsha Bansal the concerns they have with AI from the perspective of workers who are fine-tuning it.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Based on our research (although this not mentioned cwa-union.org/ghost-worker...) and featuring data workers you should follow here including @kristap.bsky.social & @brookh.bsky.social!!
November 22, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Based on our research (although this not mentioned cwa-union.org/ghost-worker...) and featuring data workers you should follow here including @kristap.bsky.social & @brookh.bsky.social!!
“When people who make AI seem trustworthy are those who trust it the least, experts believe it signals a larger issue”
For more, check out @techequity.bsky.social @alphabetworkersunion.org @cwaunion.bsky.social report based on research w workers featured in the article cwa-union.org/ghost-worker...
For more, check out @techequity.bsky.social @alphabetworkersunion.org @cwaunion.bsky.social report based on research w workers featured in the article cwa-union.org/ghost-worker...
November 22, 2025 at 4:30 PM
“When people who make AI seem trustworthy are those who trust it the least, experts believe it signals a larger issue”
For more, check out @techequity.bsky.social @alphabetworkersunion.org @cwaunion.bsky.social report based on research w workers featured in the article cwa-union.org/ghost-worker...
For more, check out @techequity.bsky.social @alphabetworkersunion.org @cwaunion.bsky.social report based on research w workers featured in the article cwa-union.org/ghost-worker...
Here’s the thing folks: if AI were to actually deliver in any of the productivity gains touted by executives, that probably just means you are busier.
November 22, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Here’s the thing folks: if AI were to actually deliver in any of the productivity gains touted by executives, that probably just means you are busier.
Reposted by Tim Newman
Our data, analyzed by @washingtonpost.com, shows giving from the 100 wealthiest Americans has risen 140x since 2000. In 2024 they accounted for 7.5% of federal election spending - $1 of every $13. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int... @bethreinhard.bsky.social @ence.bsky.social @aaronschaffer.com
How billionaires took over American politics
The current concentration of wealth is unlike anything in history. So is billionaires’ involvement in politics.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Our data, analyzed by @washingtonpost.com, shows giving from the 100 wealthiest Americans has risen 140x since 2000. In 2024 they accounted for 7.5% of federal election spending - $1 of every $13. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int... @bethreinhard.bsky.social @ence.bsky.social @aaronschaffer.com
Reposted by Tim Newman
Tools for Humanity CEO Alex Blania said that "if you should care about something else, and if you want something else, you should just not be here."
Sam Altman's eye-scanning Orb startup told workers not to care about anything outside work
Tools for Humanity CEO Alex Blania said that "if you should care about something else, and if you want something else, you should just not be here."
www.businessinsider.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Tools for Humanity CEO Alex Blania said that "if you should care about something else, and if you want something else, you should just not be here."