Bad use of software tools

AI as a replacement tool

While a lot of the consulting firms and technology companies urge other companies trying to deploy AI to regard AI as a complement to human intelligence, there are other companies – the more Milton Friedman, capitalist, free market types, the more harsher types – deploying AI as a way of reducing headcounts and thus costs.

Klarna is the most blatant company currently bragging how they are working to reduce 50% of their headcount through the use of AI. The company won’t lay off people but do it through attrition and then replace them with AI tools. So far, the revenue per employee has increased 73% year over year. The in-house marketing team is half of its size last year but is producing more with AI at $6 million less.

I do wonder how long term they will do. Will they be able to attract employees if the company is regarded as “hating employees” (my words). It seems the CEO wants the company to be just him.

AI as a surveillance system

Okay, I’m rereading the article and instead of AI being used as a surveillance tool, it is really just regular software, but we could still end up using AI as a surveillance tool so I will continue to add this topic to this post.

Since the pandemic upended our working world and forced a lot of companies to institute remote work, supervisors and managers have been unable to figure out how to manage their employees remotely. They insist on bringing employees back to the office. If they have to offer remote work, then those supervisors/managers are installing surveillance software to make sure their employees are productive.

I think these managers really do not understand how productivity works, especially in knowledge work.

Now we have a story about Tesla.

The workers being surveilled are Autopilot workers and they are being surveilled at work, rather than at home. They have to watch 5 to 6 hours of videos per day, with one 15-minute break and one 30-minute lunch hour.

Okay, that’s really tough staring at the screen like that.

And these people make only $20/hour.

The software tracks their “productivity” through keystrokes and clicks and if there are not enough clicks or keystrokes, their supervisors are apprised of their slack.

“You could basically get fired for spending too long in the bathroom.”

Noor Al-Sibai, “Tesla Autopilot Worker Horrified by What Job Actually Entails”, Futurism, September 9, 2024.

The pace of work seems very onerous, producing intense eye strain and maybe neck and shoulder pain from the stress of being in one place for so long.

Apparently, this “dream” job turned out to be a nightmare:

“I thought it would be a great opportunity for my career,” they said, “but now I view it as this dystopian company.”

Noor Al-Sibai, “Tesla Autopilot Worker Horrified by What Job Actually Entails”, Futurism, September 9, 2024.