With artificial intelligence growing every day, workers in various industries have raised concerns. Now, nurses are saying they're worried.

Registered nurses in the Capital Region, including those from the Albany Stratton VA Medical Center, rallied Thursday for safe staffing and patient protections against AI, demanding hospitals ensure that AI does not impact staffing levels.

It was part of a larger nationwide effort attended by thousands of registered nurses and organized by the National Nurses Organizing Committee, an affiliate of National Nurses United union.

Safe staffing has been a rallying cry for nurses across the state, including at Albany Medical Center.

When it comes to the use of AI, they raised concerns, calling the technology untested, and saying introducing it could harm patient care.

One nurse on Thursday said it's not just nurses who need to be better staffed at hospitals.

"We would like them to eventually just to hire more nurses and support staff as well," Registered Nurse Justine Huffman said. "We've seen a huge reduction in the support staff available, including NAs, phlebotomy, even housekeeping. And you know, a lot of that responsibility ends up getting heaped on the shoulders of the RNs that are still on the unit."