‘Constantly monitored’: the pushback against AI surveillance at work

Academics decry algorithmic monitoring of workers and call for stronger standards - but US unions have been slow to act

From algorithms firing staff without human intervention to software keeping tabs on bathroom breaks, technologies including artificial intelligence are already upsetting workers and unsettling workplaces.

At call centers, AI systems record and grade how workers handle calls, often giving failing grades for not sticking to the script. Some corporate software spies on workers to see whether they ever write the word union" in their emails.