As our workplaces continue to integrate with digital technology, employee privacy might be at a higher risk than ever before. Significant American corporations, like Walmart, Delta Air Lines, T-Mobile, Chevron, and Starbucks, have reportedly enlisted the services of the Ohio-based tech startup, Aware. This firm uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze employee communications through popular apps such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom. The invasion of worker privacy happening is no longer mere conjecture.
Known insights about a company’s staff that were previously gained through annual or twice-per-year surveys have been replaced by ongoing monitoring of employee messages via AI. Jeff Schumann, co-founder and CEO of Aware, claimed to CNBC, the purpose is to help businesses “understand the risk within their communications.” He suggests companies gain an understanding of employee sentiment towards any new corporate initiatives or marketing campaigns in real-time.
The AI models developed by Aware are designed to scrutinize text and interpret images, supposedly identifying potential issues such as bullying, harassment, discrimination, or even general “toxicity.”
However, the company’s surveillance does not stop there. The analytics tool also monitors the overall mood of the workforce. Although this all seems disconcertingly intrusive, Schumann alleges that the tool is incapable of singling out individual employees. However, there is an exception.
The eDiscovery tool, separate from the primary analytics tool, will reveal private information under extreme circumstances predetermined by the company.
The use of these surveillance tools has reportedly been adopted by brands beyond the United States, including European companies such as Nestle and AstraZeneca. Approximately 80% of Aware’s operation involves aiding firms in governance risk and compliance, according to Schumann.
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