Amazon’s AI Warehouses Isolate Workers and Hinder Union Organizing, New Report Finds (www.404media.co)
from JRepin@lemmy.ml to technology@lemmy.ml on 06 Jun 2024 18:26
https://lemmy.ml/post/16549220

Amazon’s use of AI and robotics in its warehouses isolates workers and negatively impacts union organizing drives, a new report finds.

The report, conducted by Oxford University research team Fairwork and the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, aimed to explain how AI impacts warehouse workers by interviewing employees at robotic Amazon warehouses in the U.K.

#technology

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moosetwin@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 06 Jun 2024 22:34 next collapse

amazon? being anti union? what a shocker

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SARCASM

catch22@programming.dev on 09 Jun 2024 20:01 collapse

Exactly, this just in… Water is wet

ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one on 06 Jun 2024 23:35 next collapse

“In manual fulfillment centres, Jane would walk around the warehouse. That would be tiring—she could easily do 15 or 16 km per day, often more—but at least she would see people,” the report states. “In a robotic fulfillment centre, associates in pick work at fixed stations, with just the robots for company.”

I remember someone on Lemmy linking to a story about how AI effectively isolated workers from their colleagues in order to be “efficient”. Now, I see it as a way to break solidarity between workers.

BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world on 07 Jun 2024 02:52 next collapse

Surely AI makes them so efficient they’re free to spend more time organizing a union right? /s

pavnilschanda@lemmy.world on 07 Jun 2024 04:22 collapse

That’s already being done to the general populace, especially now with sophisticated algorithms tailoring social media posts to individual needs. It’s gonna get worse with LLM-powered chatbots

brbposting@sh.itjust.works on 07 Jun 2024 05:07 next collapse

“It tells you exactly what to do. Like, It told me to get four new bags from the rack. When I did that it told me to go to trash can #1. Once I got there it told me to open the cabinet and pull out the trash can. Once I did that it told me to check the floor for any debris. Then it told me to tie up the bag and put it to the side, on the left. Then it told me to put a new bag in the can. Then it told me to attach the bag to the rim. Then it told me to put the can back in and close the cabinet. Then it told me to wipe down the cabinet and make sure it’s spotless. Then it told me to push the help button on the can to make sure it is working. Then it told me to move to trash can #2. Like that.”

Evotech@lemmy.world on 07 Jun 2024 05:31 next collapse

Man they really be programming people

dayna@lemmygrad.ml on 07 Jun 2024 08:52 next collapse

I’m autistic, and I wish every part of my day was like this.

B0rax@feddit.de on 08 Jun 2024 11:43 collapse

They try to make the job as easy as possible, so no training is required and literally anybody could do the work. That way they don’t need any skilled labor at all. Basically just any warm body.

3volver@lemmy.world on 07 Jun 2024 06:10 next collapse

Pretty soon they’ll just need a handful of robot technicians.

geography082@lemm.ee on 08 Jun 2024 01:47 collapse

People should seriously stop buying shit from corporations. There are so many small business that will love to have you as customer. Amazon became a headless mechanic monater with no control at all .