AI, UNISON's "Ants vs Bear" ad and the future of union skills and capabilities

Last week Google announced a slew of new AI releases. These things happen all the time so I usually only take notice when it is a release affecting a tool included in our AI training for unions – or I see loads of people sharing something and I can’t miss it. The updates to AI video tools created lots of sharing – and led me to another of those "oh wow!” moments, where I realised something that hadn’t been possible before – videos with talking – suddenly was possible:

Now, ever since the first video model release I have a specific test I try to run to see how well they work. I used to work in the Unison communications team, and people would talk regularly about the “Ants versus Bears” commercial they released in the 1990s (you can still see it on Youtube). It even got a mention in their website article celebrating their 30th anniversary. So my AI video test is to see whether a model could be prompted to remake that commercial.

I don’t actually have access to Veo 3, the model they just released. But the hype prompted me to run my test again, using Veo 2 - which I can now access in Google Gemini. It is getting a LOT closer to doing it, but still not there. In the closest version I got, the bear shouted “get out of the way” to the ants. Not exactly the message of the original… I’ll have to try again when Veo 3 is made available to me.

Lessons for unions on capacity building

Even though I failed, again, the experiment – and the sudden availability of video with speech that prompted it – got me thinking. How do unions adjust to a world where new things are possible from one day to another? Unions 21 is running a survey right now on capacity building - the skills and capabilities unions have now and might need in the future. What does this example offer for this topic?

Quick note before I continue: I appreciate there’s a whole heap of really valid copyright, job market, ethical and other concerns about AI in general, and AI video in particular. I talk about these in our training a lot. But that’s not the focus for this piece, so I’m not covering them all here… but be assured I am not ignorant and they are very much in my mind even if I haven’t directly mentioned them.

Change happens faster than institutions can adapt

The fact you can now generate videos with speech felt like it happened overnight for me. It wasn’t something I’d seen tried before, and suddenly it was possible. But what if union staff want to use these new tools and capabilities? That's committees, policies, procurement processes. By the time approval comes through, we might be several generations of technology behind.

The most adaptive unions will need to find ways to let staff experiment at human speed while building institutional knowledge more slowly. The most advanced are already creating "safe spaces" for trying new approaches (ethically and responsibly) without requiring full organisational buy-in first.

The democratisation of creative power changes everything

That original UNISON advert probably cost thousands and required professional agencies. I nearly recreated it in 30 minutes using free tools, and soon I will be able to. This isn't just about video – it's happening across design, translation, research, data analysis.

When any staff member can produce professional-quality content, traditional boundaries between departments start to blur. Communications officers doing research. Organisers creating agency-quality videos. HR designing their own training materials. It’s something we talk a lot about in our Applying Responsible AI in Union Communications training… because the question isn't whether this will happen – it's whether unions will prepare for it.

Productive failure builds capacity

My "failed" experiment taught me more about AI video capabilities than reading about them ever could. I now know what works, what doesn't, and what to try next time.

Unions that create space for this kind of productive experimentation – where staff can try things, learn from what doesn't work, and share insights – are building adaptive capacity. Those that only act when they're certain of success are building bureaucratic capacity.

Curiosity becomes a professional skill

My "procrastination" was actually professional development. In a world where capabilities change monthly, staying curious about new possibilities becomes as important as mastering current tools.

So, about that survey...

79% of union staff say AI will impact their role. They're not wrong – but they're also only seeing part of the picture. The real challenge is building unions that can adapt to continuous change, whether that's AI, political shifts, or economic pressures.

To build these unions we need to understand where they’re at – and where they want to be.

It takes just 5 minutes and your insights directly shape how we support unions in the future.

This blog was written with the support of Claude.ai for drafting text, and Google Gemini Veo for developing the video.