What Happened
The University of Technology Sydney's Human Technology Institute published a report this week examining the growing use of AI-powered tools to monitor employees, and called on the federal government to strengthen protections for workers.
Human Technology Institute co-director Ed Santow presented the findings to the Joint Select Committee on AI. "AI is supercharging an extraordinary rise in the surveillance of workers," Santow said, according to Information Age. "All too often workers from all sectors are being subjected to almost constant surveillance on their work-issued or personal devices, and that's causing real harm."
The report identifies a broad range of technologies now being deployed in Australian workplaces: keystroke tracking, screen capturing, internet monitoring and filtering, email and message monitoring, wearable tracking devices, AI-enabled webcams, fingerprint scans, and wearable neurotechnology.
Why It Matters
The report documents direct harm to workers. One case described a woman who found constant surveillance "extremely intimidating" and left her job without having another one lined up. Santow told the committee: "We have [heard] how dehumanising it is to be monitored second to second, to have their toilet breaks monitored, and just how they feel very resentful and often very ashamed."
The report notes that "these tools are being rolled out across the full range of Australian workplaces," and that "there is growing concern, especially from Australian workers and unions, about unchecked surveillance."
Key Details
The report makes three core recommendations. First, the federal government should simplify what it describes as "complicated, confusing and riddled with gaps" workplace surveillance laws. Second, a "fair and reasonable" test should be introduced before employers can monitor staff. Third, workers should be able to take privacy complaints directly to the Fair Work Commission, a route that does not currently exist under Australian law.
Background and Context
Workplace surveillance law in Australia is fragmented across state and territory jurisdictions, with no single national framework. The federal government's National AI Plan has placed workers at the centre of its policy agenda. The report argues that "the Australian government has a clear mandate to undertake this reform, having put workers at the centre of the National AI Plan."
What Comes Next
The Human Technology Institute's report was tabled before the Joint Select Committee on AI. The committee's work feeds into the federal government's broader AI governance agenda, including any future legislation on workplace rights and automated monitoring. No government response to the specific recommendations had been published at the time of writing.