Simon & Schuster Staff Oppose Skan AI Trial as $10,000 Contest Fueled Wider Publisher Push
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Oct 9
Simon & Schuster Staff Oppose Skan AI Trial as $10,000 Contest Fueled Wider Publisher Push
1 articles · Updated · WIRED · Oct 9
Summary
Simon & Schuster employees are collecting signatures on an open letter to CEO Greg Greeley opposing an experimental Skan AI trial and seeking a pledge to keep the software out of company workflows.
Skan AI markets tools to cut costs, prioritize automation and monitor workflows, and staff fear its surveillance and “automation discovery” features could be used to shadow jobs and replace workers.
Greg Greeley told employees on Oct. 6 that Simon & Schuster had only explored Skan AI’s Blueprint product and had made no decision to adopt it or any other productivity-monitoring tool.
Workers say the backlash follows a broader internal AI push, including an OpenAI workshop and a May 2024 contest offering $10,000 to find AI use cases, though management later eased pressure after town-hall complaints.
Across HarperCollins, Hachette and Simon & Schuster, staff told WIRED AI is already being used for publicity copy, agent emails and marketing as layoffs shrink teams, intensifying demands for clear disclosure and consent rules.