Human Technology Institute Urges Ban on High-Risk Workplace Surveillance

The Human Technology Institute at the University of Technology Sydney released a report warning that Australian employers are increasingly using AI and surveillance tools to track staff, often without their knowledge. The report details the use of CCTV, keystroke monitoring, and card swipes, citing instances where a fast-food chain allegedly placed cameras in changing rooms and a supermarket cashier received a final written warning for a 0.18% error rate flagged by AI.

Presenting these findings to a joint parliamentary inquiry on artificial intelligence, the institute urged the federal government to overhaul the Fair Work Act. The organization is calling for legislation to ensure monitoring is fair and reasonable and for ministers to be granted the power to ban high-risk surveillance products, such as smartglasses. The report also noted that platforms like Microsoft Teams automatically update worker locations via workplace Wi-Fi.

Senator Tony Sheldon, a member of the joint standing committee, expressed concern over the findings, stating that such surveillance poses serious risks to the privacy, health, and dignity of workers.