'Constantly monitored': the pushback against AI surveillance at work

Jan 7, 2024 ·

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in surveillance is becoming increasingly prevalent around the world. In an effort to increase efficiency and accuracy, companies have turned to AI technology to monitor workers, track their activities, and even predict their behaviors. Despite the potential gains to businesses, this topic has become increasingly controversial due to privacy concerns, worries about algorithmic bias, and a lack of transparency over how the data is used.

In the UK, the BBC recently reported that Amazon is using AI-powered surveillance to track employees’ activities. This software, Rekognition, uses facial recognition to detect workers’ locations and movements. What makes this system even more concerning is that it can also assign scores to individual workers based on productivity and performance. This system could potentially be used to target workers, depending on their score.

Similar systems exist elsewhere. In Singapore, airports are using AI-based facial recognition systems to monitor passengers and identify security threats. In China, AI-powered surveillance systems are being used to monitor students in schools and universities in order to keep them safe and make sure they are following the rules.

Despite the benefits, there are significant ethical concerns over the use of AI-powered surveillance. For example, privacy advocates worry that these technologies could be used to monitor people without their consent or knowledge, while civil liberties organizations argue that the data collected could be used to discriminate against certain groups. Additionally, there is a danger that algorithms could be biased, leading to unfair outcomes.

To address these issues, it is essential that regulations are put in place to protect people’s basic rights and ensure that the data collected is used responsibly. Governments should also ensure that companies are transparent about how they use AI-powered surveillance technologies, what data they collect, and how it is used. Finally, people should have the right to access, delete, and correct any personal data collected by AI-powered surveillance systems.