Recent advancements in large language models (LLMs), like ChatGPT, have reignited concerns about job displacement and its potential impact on employment. AI systems can automate tasks previously performed by humans, leading job displacement in a range of industries. 

• Olivia Limpkin, a 25-year- old copywriter in San Francisco, was slowly pushed out of a tech startup by managers looking to cost-saving AI tools to replace people doing creative roles.
• In 2022, the National Eating Disorders Association reportedly replaced unionizing staffers with an AI-powered chatbot. However, the chatbot was taken offline after reports of it providing harmful advice.

Applicant tracking systems used for recruiting, screening, and hiring may inadvertently discriminate against candidates. AI systems may prioritize candidates with similar backgrounds, excluding other qualified candidates.

• In 2020, a UK-based makeup artist was evaluated for a role using an AI screening system called HireVue after being furloughed during the pandemic. Despite performing well on her skills evaluations, the AI tool negatively scored her body language and cost her the job. 
• 🏆In 2019, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) filed a complaint with the FTC against HireVue for its use of facial analysis to assess job candidates. HireVue stopped using the technology.
• 🏆The Houston Independent School District settled with educators who brought a case against the district’s use of the Educational Value Added Assessment System (EVAAS) that used algorithms to evaluate, fire, and give bonuses to teachers.

The rise of wearable tech, biometric systems, and computer monitors raises privacy concerns about employer surveillance. Though intended to boost productivity, such monitoring can create high-pressure environments and erode trust between employers and employees.

• A 2024 report from Oxfam found that Amazon and Walmart’s excessive warehouse surveillance erodes workers’ rights. 

Gig economy tools use algorithms to assign tasks, reward, and punish workers based on their performance. However, the black box nature of these technologies make it easier for companies to surveil and exploit workers.

• In 2024, Pa Edrissa Manjang, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and the Couriers Union brought a case against Uber after Manjang’s account was disabled due to failed identity verification checks. The app used a tool that repeatedly failed to recognize Manjang’s face, illegally depriving him of income.