Companies Increasingly Use AI Tools to Monitor Employee Productivity, Report Finds

A growing number of companies are turning to artificial intelligence-assisted tools to monitor employees in the workplace, according to a report published by Scientific American.

The publication states that businesses now have more options than ever to track workers, describing monitoring capabilities that can follow employee activity down to individual keystrokes and minute-by-minute behavior.

According to the report, the expansion of such monitoring has been enabled by advances in AI technology, which allow employers to collect and analyze data on worker activity at a scale not previously possible.

Scientific American's report examines whether this type of surveillance produces the outcomes employers intend, specifically whether increased monitoring translates into measurable gains in productivity.

The report does not provide a definitive conclusion in the excerpt reviewed, framing the effectiveness of AI-based workplace monitoring as an open question warranting further examination.

The use of employee monitoring software has drawn attention in recent years as remote and hybrid work arrangements have become more common, prompting some employers to seek new methods of overseeing staff performance outside traditional office settings.

Further details on the specific tools, companies, or research findings referenced in the report were not included in the available excerpt.