AI and algorithms play a significant role in decision-making in the workplace , and unfortunately , current laws do not protect employees from the risk of unfair treatment and discrimination that this situation can cause. However, when we talk about hiring or firing employees via AI, things are even worse.
The UK Trades Union Congress (TUC) has warned of “huge gaps” in the law relating to the development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace, calling for urgent reforms to ensure that algorithms cannot cause problems for employees.
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This includes, among other things, mechanisms to ensure that employees know exactly which of the technologies used could affect them. It also requires the implementation of the right to challenge any decisions made by an AI system that are considered unfair or discriminatory.
AI and algorithms need to be used wisely. Some uses of AI are harmless and enhance productivity. But in many cases, algorithms are used for very important decisions that can change the lives of employees, and even in those cases there is no meaningful oversight.
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“There are all sorts of situations with the potential for unfairness,” said Tim Sharp, a TUC member. “The spread of technology must be accompanied by the right set of rules to ensure it is beneficial to work and that the risk of unfair treatment is minimised.”
Algorithms can make decisions that are considered “high risk” by the TUC. For example, AI can be used to determine which employees should be fired (or hired). Automated absence management systemsare also a serious issue. AI technology can incorrectly conclude that an employee was absent from work, which has a negative impact on their performance evaluation.
When it comes to hiring employees, there are AI tools that are used in the early stages of the hiring process. Algorithms can be used to screen or reject resumes, review key information, and conduct background checks to analyze the data. Amazon tried using this hiring system but found that the model discriminated against women’s resumes.
According to the TUC, the uncontrolled use of AI could lead to greater discrimination when hiring and firing employees.
This issue is not unique to the UK. Experts from various quarters are calling for stricter oversight of AI models in recruitment processes. “We shouldn’t be investing in developing these tools right now. We should be investing in how we oversee these technologies,” said Julia Stoyanovich, director of the Center for Responsible AI.
“I hope we start to put a stop to this, because recruitment is an extremely important area“.
Stoyanovich believes there needs to be more transparency and redress to protect those affected by algorithmic decisions. In other words, individuals should know when and how an AI model is being used to make decisions, and they should have the means to request a human review of that decision.
This proposal is similar to the TUC recommendations. The problem is that many workers are unaware that AI tools are being used by employers in the recruitment process and in other work processes.
In fact, this situation has become a bigger trend in the last year, with the rapid digitization of the workplace. As more employees work from home, some employers have implemented new technologies to monitor employee productivity. Recent reports show that about one in five businesses monitor their employees through online monitoring tools or have plans to introduce such technology.
See related: Increase in demand for employee monitoring software
AI systems and algorithms can be used to record staff working hours, record keystrokes made in an hour, monitor social media activity, etc.
However, it appears that most workers are unaware that they are being monitored: previous TUC research showed that less than one in three workers (31%) were aware of the introduction of a new technology. In contrast, an overwhelming 75% of respondents believed that permission should be sought from staffbefore introducing a monitoring technology.
“Many employees are unsure about what data is being collected and how it is being used,” Sharp says. “We are concerned about what this means for the balance of power in the workplace. The uses of technology need to be clear, and these tools need to be introduced in consultation with employees. In most workplaces, that doesn’t seem to be happening.”
The TUC has called for changes to UK employee data protection laws to ensure staff understand exactly how AI works in their workplace. Workers should have the right to ask for explanations about how the technologies work.
Source: ZDNet
