The introduction of AI into workplaces is a new complexity that leaders are trying to navigate. While most leaders will strive to do so responsibly, there is a dark side of leadership to consider when it comes to managing innovations. AI, like any innovation, is not immune to exploitation and misuse.
Here are three ethical considerations for leaders who want to lead responsibly and for employees to be aware of when AI is being introduced or increased at work.
Surveillance and Data Misuse
With advancements in AI technology, there are more and more ways that managers can keep tabs on employees. Through automated surveillance and monitoring, employees can be tracked throughout their workday, whether they are working remotely or in the office or workplace. Data may be collected for reasons other than monitoring, but with so much access to data, there is also an abundance of opportunity to misuse that data and breach employee privacy.
AI For Ethical Outsourcing
If AI is used in organizational decision making, any poor or harmful outcomes can be blamed on the technology and not the leader. This is a classic example of diffusion of responsibility, where leaders can wriggle out of being held accountable by pointing the finger elsewhere. As more of these decisions get allocated to AI, accountability and stewardship will suffer.
AI could also be used in this way to guide employees in a leader’s chosen direction, by giving them recommendations and feedback to follow. This could be a deceptive leadership practice, in that the leader’s true intentions are masked behind the guidance of AI.
Transparency also suffers when employees are no longer sure who to question when decisions are made with AI.
Dehumanizing Employees
When employees feel monitored and even herded by AI at work, they will likely also feel mistrusted, a lack of trust toward their employer, a lack of control or autonomy to make decisions, and reduced self-efficacy. This violates their human dignity and will lead to feelings of being undervalued. We have a wellbeing issue to consider when introducing new technology into daily work for employees.
Integrity Over Exploitation
By anticipating these potential dark applications of AI, leaders can practice responsible leadership and continue to lead with integrity in the rapidly evolving world of work we find ourselves in.
Employees can also be on the lookout for these dark and controlling behaviors to protect themselves from exploitation and to preserve their human dignity at work.