Jillian Arnold will be guiding the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees on new and emerging tech going forward.
Arnold was appointed on Friday as the union’s first Labor & Technology Intelligence Officer, a newly created role to focus on how emerging technologies (read: artificial intelligence) will impact the craft and working conditions of its members in the U.S. and Canada.
In the role, Arnold will continue work she’s already begun within IATSE in various capacities over the years. In 2020, she became the first woman and the first video engineer elected president of IATSE Local 695 in the union’s 90-year history, representing production sound, video, and projection workers in the Hollywood jurisdiction. She was elected to a second term in 2023.
She also previously served as chair of the IATSE AI sub-committee during the union’s 2024 negotiations with the AMPTP.
“Technology has been a defining part of my entire career,” Arnold said in a statement on Friday. “I’ve seen firsthand how technological innovation can expand what workers are capable of achieving. I’ve also seen why workers need a meaningful voice in determining how technologies are developed and integrated into the workplace. I’m excited to bring those experiences together in this new role and help ensure that technological progress strengthens our crafts and the people who perform them.”
Added IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb: “Jillian has been a leader on artificial intelligence and its impact on the labor movement. In this new role, she’ll be a resource and a voice representing members on both sides of the border as we navigate public policy and workplace challenges relating to the development and implementation of these new tools.”
IATSE Director of Canadian Affairs John M. Lewis said: “Companies that employ members on both sides of the border may choose to deploy certain AI technologies in different jurisdictions but not in others. With the creation of this new role, members in Canada and United States will have the benefit of an expert voice who can help ensure their interests are protected at the bargaining table.”