3 Different Mechanisms Left-Wing Groups Use to Influence AI
19th September 2026
Left-leaning labor unions and activist groups are seeking to influence artificial intelligence, not just in how it is deployed in schools and the federal government, but also in how technology companies build the AI models themselves.
The American Federation of Teachers, the U.S.’ second-largest teachers union and a major Democrat ally, has teamed up with Microsoft to craft rules for AI in education. The American Federation of Government Employees, a federal government union endorsing Democrats, aims to incorporate AI influence into union contracts. Meanwhile, the LGBTQ+ activist group GLAAD has published guidelines to shape the way AI companies build their systems.
Each group targets a different layer of the AI ecosystem. AFT shapes how AI enters classrooms. AFGE seeks influence over how government agencies deploy AI. GLAAD targets the underlying rules governing training data, content moderation, and AI model behavior.
“If Republicans in Congress continue to wait on passing commonsense AI safeguards, we are going to lose the fight to the activist Left,” Janet Kelly, CEO of the Alliance for a Better Future, told the Daily Signal in a statement Friday. “Teachers unions and radical advocacy groups aren’t waiting. They are already working to pressure tech companies to strangle innovation and inject woke priorities directly into the code.”