As artificial intelligence threatens to upend entire sectors of the economy, American labor unions are scrambling to protect workers, demand corporate transparency, and rally political support—an uphill battle in a rapidly changing world.

"As laborers, the ability to withhold our labor is one of our only tools to improve our lives," explained Aaron Novik, a key organizer with Amazon's ALU union.

"What happens when that disappears (to AI)? It's a real existential issue," he added.

Automation has already transformed most industries since the 1960s, typically reducing workforce numbers in the process.

But the emergence of advanced "physical AI" promises a new generation of intelligent robots that won't be limited to repetitive tasks -- potentially displacing far more blue-collar workers t

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