Major Employers Use AI Software To Spy On Workers
Artificial intelligence platforms have sparked serious concerns over the past several months — including the risk of widespread job losses, the spread of false information and the proliferation of anti-White racial biases.
One aspect of the rise in AI capabilities that has not received as much attention involves the loss of privacy, particularly in the workplace.
According to recent reports, a growing number of employers are turning to AI-powered interfaces provided through Slack, Zoom and other popular communication applications in order to track the behaviors of employees around the clock.
America's Founding Fathers, Vikings, and the Pope according to Google AI: pic.twitter.com/lw4aIKLwkp
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At the center of this trend is a startup company, Aware, that produces a tool capable of spying on workers on an unprecedented level. The software is already being used by some of the largest employers on the planet, including Walmart, Starbucks, Nestle, Delta Airlines and Chevron.
While advocates for the use of Aware’s tools say it can boost productivity and address brewing staff discontent, critics describe it as an Orwellean invasion of privacy.
“A lot of this becomes thought crime,” argued Humane Intelligence cofounder Jutta Williams. “This is treating people like inventory in a way I’ve not seen.”
According to statistics compiled by Aware, its database of more than 3 million employees contains a staggering 20 billion unique interactions, all of which can be categorized and viewed by employers.
“It’s always tracking real-time employee sentiment, and it’s always tracking real-time toxicity,” explained Aware CEO Jeff Schumann. “If you were a bank using Aware and the sentiment of the workforce spiked in the last 20 minutes, it’s because they’re talking about something positively, collectively. The technology would be able to tell them whatever it was.”
That level of nonstop snooping, detractors argue, puts too much power in the hands of Big Tech while infringing on the liberty of employees.
“It results in a chilling effect on what people are saying in the workplace,” said New York University’s AI Now Institute Executive Director Amba Kak, adding: “These are as much worker rights issues as they are privacy issues.”
Schumann attempted to downplay such concerns by insisting that “Aware and its AI models are not making decisions,” but that distinction seems unlikely to convince skeptics that installing the software in workplaces nationwide is a good idea.