By: Controlio
Everybody makes errors. However, we occasionally forget that technology also advances, particularly in the case of artificial intelligence (AI), which is still very much in its infancy.
Unfairness in AI at Work
Employee monitoring software is not new. Employee monitoring software like Controlio is used in various industries to manage and optimize workforce efficiency and security measures. Often referred to as bossware, its creators promote it to increase productivity, but for those subjected to it, it can be a means of lowering spirits. As a remote contractor who has seen intrusive screenshots in the past, I firmly believe in the latter. While I wish I could claim that employee monitoring technology was going away, it appears to be gaining traction, partially due to artificial intelligence and misplaced mistrust of remote labor. Even if you have nothing against surveillance software per se, it is on the rise because it is based on a very new technology.
According to an employment relations professor, “Workers are being monitored constantly, and AI-based monitoring tools can make mistakes that can translate into unfair pay cuts or firings.” We already know that mistakes can happen in technology. The British Post Office debacle served as a harsh lesson to employers to verify their claims before falsely accusing somebody of misconduct, mainly when a malfunctioning IT system is at play.
However, companies everywhere are continuing to subject their employees to bossware powered by artificial intelligence that lacks objectivity and transparency. While it may be a moral dilemma, unions in North America have not focused on it. I wouldn’t be shocked if that changed shortly.
Not Quite There Yet
Though AI has a lot of promise, we should remember that technology is still in its infancy. It’s a warning that we might not want to ignore, even though AI art programs like Midjourney and DALL-E will soon realize that most human hands have five fingers. I’m not trying to blame humans for finding fault with robots; that’s not my argument. Rather, I find it confusing that we are living with incredibly promising and frequently subpar AI.
Consider Google Maps as an example. Its reviews section has a tool that automatically extracts keywords from user comments to display the most popular subjects. Beneficial, huh? That is, not in the case of automatic translation.
Like many multilingual people, I find it annoying when websites translate content into languages I know. However, I get much more agitated when the translations are poor, which they frequently are. This is particularly the case with Google Maps’ “People often mention” feature, which appears to be totally unaware of context.
I could go on and on about how it should be aware that in the context of a restaurant, the Spanish words “carta” and “rico” refer to the menu and the food, respectively, rather than “rich.” However, a Google search turned up a far more instructive case. A dentist from the United States bemoaned on a support website, “The ‘People often mention’ is picking up my last name from the reviews and translating it as Diarrhea.” I won’t name him here to avoid adding to his troubles because he eventually solved it. Let’s just say that, aside from Turkish, where Google was strangely translating from on its own, his last name doesn’t normally signify “diarrhea.” Not quite Babel Fish.
Enhancing Work Environments?
Despite the shortcomings of AI today, venture capital firms are willing to place large bets on its potential. This contains the $1 billion treasure trove, the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund. Having debuted in April 2022, the fund is preparing to invest in additional nations and sectors, like generative AI.
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Published By: Aize Perez
