STATEMENT: NEW YORK MAGAZINE UNION DEMANDS TRANSPARENCY ON VOX MEDIA’S OPENAI PARTNERSHIP

On Wednesday, Vox Media informed New York Magazine employees that our company had entered into a partnership with OpenAI. This was the first time that the employees of New York Magazine, and the members of the New York Magazine Union, even heard that such an arrangement was under consideration.

In March, as we began the good faith process of negotiating our new contract with Vox Media, we presented the company with a proposal to create reasonable standards that would allow us to make use of this emerging technology while also ensuring that the editorial integrity of the work we do is protected. For more than two months, we have repeatedly asked for a response from Vox Media on this issue, and have been met with only excuses and delays. The sudden nature of this announcement, and the lack of information and transparency around what it entails, is extremely concerning. 

We know from our colleagues, and from the reaction to this agreement, that AI continues to be a critical concern for our members, and our industry. We are frustrated that Vox Media made this deal while actively avoiding any engagement with our proposals on AI at the bargaining table.  Along with our colleagues at The Atlantic Union, the Vox Media Union, and elsewhere in our industry, we will demand details about this agreement as our contract negotiations move forward and we continue to ensure that we are building a sustainable future for our company and our industry.