US probes how companies use AI to monitor and manage workers

The White House is probing how companies use artificial intelligence to monitor and manage workers, practices the Biden Administration says are increasingly prevalent and can inflict significant harm.
 

“While these technologies can benefit both workers and employers in some cases, they can also create serious risks to workers,” deputies from the White House Domestic Policy Council and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy wrote in a blog post slated for publication later Monday, announcing a formal request for information from the public about how automated tools are being deployed in the workplace.
 

“The constant tracking of performance can push workers to move too fast on the job, posing risks to their safety and mental health,” wrote the officials, Deputy Assistant to the President for Racial Justice and Equity Jenny Yang, and Deputy US Chief Technology Officer Deirdre Mulligan. In addition, they wrote, using tech to monitor workers’ conversations can deter them from exercising their right to organize, and AI can fuel discrimination in pay and discipline. reuters