The Guardian Launches Major Reporting Initiative on AI and Work
The Guardian has unveiled an ambitious new editorial series titled "Reworked" that will explore how artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming work environments and power structures across the United States and worldwide. This year-long reporting project, launched on Tuesday, places workers' lived experiences at the forefront of coverage about one of the most significant economic shifts of our generation.
Centering Workers in the AI Conversation
Rather than focusing on technology executives or speculative forecasts, Reworked will document how millions of Americans across diverse industries are already interacting with AI-driven systems in their daily work lives. The series aims to move beyond the polarized public discourse that typically frames AI as either causing mass unemployment or posing minimal threat, instead providing nuanced reporting on how these technologies are reshaping livelihoods, professional agency, and future prospects in real time.
From Amazon warehouses and hospital settings to Hollywood writers' rooms, corporate offices, and shipping docks, artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing critical workplace aspects including scheduling, human resources disciplinary procedures, compensation decisions, promotion pathways, and even creative output. The Guardian's reporting will examine both the challenges and successes of these AI implementations while asking fundamental questions about power dynamics: Who determines how these tools are deployed, and whose interests do they ultimately serve?
Leadership and Editorial Vision
The series is led by Samantha Oltman, an award-winning editor who previously served as editor-in-chief of Recode, editorial director at Vox, and co-host of the investigative podcast Sabotage. As the Guardian's AI and work editor, Oltman emphasized that artificial intelligence is often discussed as an autonomous force moving through society, when in reality it's implemented through specific decisions made by employers, executives, and policymakers.
"Those decisions shape who benefits, who bears the risk, who has a voice – and deserve to be scrutinized," Oltman stated. "By focusing on workers' lived experiences rather than the hype and anxiety around AI, we can better understand how AI is altering the workplace and what meaningful agency can look like in this evolving environment."
Funding and Editorial Independence
Reworked is supported in part by philanthropic contributions from theguardian.org – an independent 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to sustaining independent journalism – in partnership with the Omidyar Network. Despite this funding arrangement, all reporting published by the Guardian maintains complete editorial independence, a cornerstone of the organization's journalistic philosophy.
Nicole Kotzen, executive director of theguardian.org and senior vice president of development at the Guardian, explained: "Theguardian.org exists to ensure that consequential stories – especially those shaping the future of our democracy and economy – receive the sustained, in-depth reporting they deserve. Support from philanthropy allows us to back ambitious projects like Reworked, so the Guardian can examine how AI is transforming workers' lives with rigor, independence, and urgency."
Exploring Critical Workplace Themes
The Reworked series will feature on-the-ground reporting and commentary from across the United States and beyond, exploring topics including:
- How technology's new era of endless work serves as a warning for broader society
- How anxiety about AI – whether justified or not – is shifting career ambitions and professional trajectories
- The real-world implementation of AI systems across different economic sectors
- The power dynamics inherent in workplace technology adoption
Michele L Jawando, president of the Omidyar Network, highlighted the project's significance: "The AI revolution is fundamentally about power – who gets to decide how these tools reshape work, and whose interests they serve. Independent journalism that centers the voices of working people is essential to ensuring our digital future is steered by our shared humanity."
About the Guardian's US Presence
The Guardian is a global, reader-funded news organization with a strong commitment to high-quality journalism, progressive values, and editorial independence. Founded in 1821, the publication has built a reputation for rigorous reporting on politics, environmental issues, social justice, sports, wellness, and culture for a worldwide audience.
In the United States, the Guardian maintains more than 100 editorial staff members across bureaus in New York, Washington DC, and Los Angeles. Its influential journalism reaches over 40 million US readers monthly, positioning it among America's leading news sites. The Guardian's US newsroom has received numerous prestigious awards, including the George Polk Award, Scripps Howard Award, Edward R Murrow Award, and the Pulitzer Prize.
The Reworked series represents the latest expansion of the Guardian's distinctive coverage of technology's human impact, continuing its tradition of examining how societal shifts affect everyday people rather than abstract economic indicators.
