As experts continue to predict that AI will lead to the abolishing of millions of jobs, one company is taking the matter to its logical conclusion by giving its “digital workers” — AI algorithms that were essentially assigned a job — “rights,” as Fortune reports.
In a press release last week, HR software company Lattice proudly claimed that it was “making history” by fully integrating these AI models into its product and adding them to org charts.
“AI workers will have managers and will be held accountable to specific goals and standards using Lattice’s platform,” the press release reads, “so employers can measure and assess their performance like with any other employee.”
Unsurprisingly, the baffling concept of extending rights to “digital employees” that don’t actually exist didn’t sit well with many, leading to major backlash and eventually forcing Lattice to reconsider.
The retaliation highlights a growing disillusionment with AI, which has quickly taken over entire industries by storm.
In many ways, Lattice said the quiet part out loud and got called out for it. Onboarding AI models to have the same standing as human employees in an organization appears to have crossed a line, with people squirming at the possibility of a future where work environments are largely shaped by algorithms, not humans.
Critics of the move pointed out that Lattice’s announcement was tone-deaf, degrading to human staff, and set a bad precedent.
“This strategy and messaging misses the mark in a big way, and I say that as someone building an AI company,” AI sales platform Aomni chief of staff Sawyer Middeleer wrote in a LinkedIn comment responding to an announcement post by Lattice CEO Sarah Franklin. “Treating AI agents as employees disrespects the humanity of your real employees. Worse, it implies that you view humans simply as ‘resources’ to be optimized and measured against machines.”
“Workers are already struggling enough and now they have to compete with ‘AI workers,'” another user wrote. “Can we put it back into its box and send it back?”
For quite some time now, companies have cited AI as a reason for mass layoffs. Just last week, TurboTax maker Intuit laid off 1,800 workers in an apparent effort to cash in on the AI hype. Last month, Microsoft blamed an “AI wave” after laying off 1,500 workers.
And organizations are becoming less and less shy about intentionally replacing human roles with AI.
For instance, Ferris State University in Michigan recently announced plans to enroll two AI-powered “students,” who are invited to “attend” classes and interact with other human students.
Following the backlash, Lattice quickly backpedaled on the idea.
“This innovation sparked a lot of conversation and questions that have no clear answers yet,” Franklin told Fortune in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to work with our customers on the responsible use of AI but will not further pursue digital workers in the product.”
Could Lattice’s shortsighted announcement be a sign of things still to come? There’s still a chance other companies may follow suit in an effort to humanize their “digital workers” and rationalize their cost-cutting measures.
But given the swift backlash, it’s unlikely to be a popular move that’ll be embraced by workers, who are already wary of the possibility of having their workload be passed onto an AI.
More on AI and jobs: Maker of TurboTax Fires 1,800 Workers, Says It’s Pivoting to AI
Source link
lol
