French court halts eight journalist job cuts linked to AI rollout
A French court has suspended a plan to eliminate eight editorial secretary positions at Infopro Digital subsidiary Gisi, citing the need for real-world testing of the AI tools involved.
The Judicial Court of Créteil has suspended a plan to eliminate eight journalist positions at Gisi, an Infopro Digital subsidiary that publishes titles including L’Usine Nouvelle and LSA. The decision, issued on 15 September, concerns the company’s planned use of AI tools in its newsrooms.
The court found that the absence of prior real-world testing of the system created a serious risk to the physical and mental health of several categories of employees. It ordered the plan to remain suspended until full testing has been completed.
Gisi had planned to eliminate eight editorial secretary positions and transfer some of their responsibilities to new editorial roles supported by AI. The company estimates that AI could perform around 70% of the tasks currently carried out by editorial secretaries, while coordination and overall proofreading would remain with human staff.
The wider restructuring announced by Infopro Digital in May affects 19 editorial secretary positions across 26 professional media titles. At Gisi, the eight positions are affected by the court decision, while a separate plan involving 11 positions at Groupe Moniteur is also underway.
Employee representatives had challenged the use of generative AI and the consultation process surrounding its introduction. Staff and unions have also raised concerns about the lack of an agreed framework for using AI in the newsrooms.
Infopro Digital said it would continue testing the AI tools and produce full editions as requested by the court. The company has also indicated that it may appeal the decision.
