Is Big Brother Watching? Employers Turn to AI to Monitor Employee Chatter

Orwell Would Be Proud

Cue the George Orwell reference. Depending on where you work there's a significant chance that artificial intelligence is analyzing your messages on Slack Microsoft Teams Zoom and other popular apps.

Spies Among Us

Huge U.S. employers such as Walmart Delta Air Lines T Mobile Chevron and Starbucks as well as European brands including Nestle and AstraZeneca have turned to a seven year old startup Aware to monitor chatter among their rank and file. Talk about being under the watchful eye of the Sheikah Slate!

Reading Between the Lines

Using AI models Aware can analyze employee messages to understand employee sentiment and identify behaviors such as bullying harassment noncompliance and even nudity. It's like having Sheikah Slate runes that can decipher the hidden messages in Hylian texts!

The Dark Side of Surveillance

Employee surveillance AI has its own set of challenges and ethical concerns. Jutta Williams co founder of AI accountability nonprofit Humane Intelligence warns that this level of surveillance is akin to thought crime and treats people like inventory. It's as if Calamity Ganon himself is overseeing our every move.

From Chatbots to Employee Monitoring

Employee surveillance AI is a rapidly expanding niche within the larger AI market. Ever since the launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot generative AI has become the new buzzword. It's like the cuccos have come home to roost!

Aware of the Risks

Aware the startup at the center of this employee monitoring trend has seen a significant increase in revenue over the past five years. Its AI technology analyzes billions of messages and creates a company social graph to track employee sentiment and toxicity. It's like Ganondorf trying to predict who will oppose him in his quest for power.