Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made our lives both easier and harder in a variety of ways. From grappling with the ethical aspects of using AI to knowing how much is too much, it has become such an issue of contention.
No one seems entirely sure about how far AI derivatives like chatbots powered by machine learning, AI virtual assistants and generative AI tools such as ChatGPT will take us, just to name a few considerations.
In the workplace, while AI has made areas like research, data collection and demonstrating creativity easier, it is also feared for its potential to take over jobs and replace the human connection people once shared in the corporate world.
One such example of an AI-related problem that has come to light in recent days is monitoring employees at the workplace and employee angst about being surveilled all the time. In the US, the worry stemming from AI surveillance is that the tools used to monitor workers may make mistakes that will result in penalties, the loss of jobs or pay deductions.
The conversation surrounding the matter is that workers’ unions in America have still not fully pushed for safeguarding mechanisms against being surveilled at the workplace, although in Europe they have done so.
One of the main points of focus for Labor Law experts is that employees in the US should be made more aware of how much they are being monitored by AI tools and how the collected data and information are being used to make decisions regarding the future of their employment at that specific workplace.
In the recent past, AI tools have been used to dismiss workers without human intervention based on algorithms. For example, monitoring how call center employees handle customer interactions, how many bathroom breaks are taken by workers in offices and even using AI to monitor emails have become causes for concern.
Furthermore, some functions of Human Resources such as hiring employees, screening applications and reading through their resumes have also been taken over by AI. While this is certainly helpful in sifting through significant numbers of applications for jobs, it could also lead to inadvertent discrimination against some applicants.
Impacting mental health
It is not surprising then, that 45% of US workers say that being monitored at work by AI has had a negative impact on their mental health. Top10VPN, which is a virtual private network comparison site, has said that between the period of March 2020 and June 2023, there has been a 54% increase in the demand for employee surveillance software.
This demonstrates that employee surveillance is on the rise and that this could lead to adverse impacts on the employees being monitored, which brings up ethical concerns.
Not only does being surveilled in such a manner impact employee well-being, but it also creates a rift in the bond of trust shared between employees and their bosses, according to the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center. All of this results in undue stress on employees, with the final outcome being the loss of job satisfaction and the fear of one’s safety at work.
Is legislation tackling the issue?
At the moment, US lawmakers are speaking up about employee privacy concerns in the workplace stemming from AI monitoring, but existing federal privacy legislation does not adequately cover these concerns.
Reuters notes that using AI tools to monitor employee work habits has raised questions about whether this leads to discrimination against people with various disabilities, and doubts about whether in the long run, this even leads to the expected increased productivity.
Adding to the problem of the lack of proper legislation is the fact that there are thousands of remote workers working from different states in the US which have different laws that govern privacy rights. Thus, this has made it extremely challenging to combat the use of AI technology in employee monitoring throughout the country.
Perceived value
Employee contributions and the value attributed to it is also now being questioned as a result of AI monitoring. For instance, given that AI tools can monitor how long a person will be watching his/her screen by tracking eye movement, etc., it also paves the way for false assumptions of worker contribution when workers can be engaging in activities besides work on their computer screens.
This also does not then take into account the type of work that a person may engage in that does not involve looking at their computer screen such as reading hard copies of documents and doing offline research, etc.
Can AI and workplace sensitivity be reconciled?
Until such time when proper legislation is drawn up to ensure that employee privacy rights are protected with the issue concerning surveillance in the office, employers must strive to be transparent in their intent and also ensure that the monitoring of employee efficacy includes a matrix of AI tools and proven output as well.
It may actually never be possible for lawmakers to keep up with the technological changes taking place with AI to fully cover ethical concerns, and so it is up to employers to ensure that the human aspect of working and the workplace is retained despite the advent of AI and new technologies.
Failing to do so will mean a breakdown in relationships in the workplace and may uncover a can of worms that go beyond the lesser problem of questionable employee productivity.
(Anouk De Silva)