Japanese supermarket chain AEON has introduced an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system to monitor employees' smiles and general behavior towards customers. It is an attempt to standardize employee. However, the move has sparked backlash, bringing back the issue of the ethical use of technology.
According to the South China Morning Post, AEON announced the launch of the “Mr Smile” (developed by Japanese technology company InstaVR) in 250 of its stores in the country. The goal is to increase customer satisfaction.
The AI system accurately evaluates the performance of supermarket employees face, expressions and tone of voice their. In addition, users of the AI system can improve their score by completing various challenges.
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AEON conducted a trial of the system in about 8 of its stores for three months and found that behavior employee towards customers improved by 1.6 times.
On the other hand, the supermarket's new AI policy has raised serious concerns about a potential increase in workplace bullying incidents by customers, a phenomenon that has already reached alarming proportions in Japan.
Also known as “kasu-hara,” the phenomenon of employee harassment by customers usually manifests itself through insults or frequent complaints. According to a survey of about 30,000 workers by Japanese union UA Zensen, about 50% of respondents said they had experienced some form of workplace harassment this year.
One of the participants said: “When service workers are forced to smile according to a standard, it seems to me like another form of harassment.”
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Another employee said that smiles should be beautiful and natural and should not be seen as a commodity. A third said that using systems , like the one in the Japanese supermarket, to standardize human behavior seems cold and stupid. As he explained, people are different and adopt different ways to express their affection.
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The integration of Artificial Intelligence into our daily lives and work can offer many opportunities, but at the same time it also requires the establishment of strict regulations and ethical frameworks. Policymakers and businesses must work together to ensure that technology is used in a way that respects human rights and promotes social well-being. It is important to always assess the ethical side of the use of AI systems and take measures to correct additional impacts. Only in this way can we ensure that technology contributes to the improvement of our society, without violating human dignity.
Source: cryptorank.io
