The latest Canon office tech only allows smiling workers to enter the office space, book meetings, and, in a way, forces employees to be 100 percent happy all the time. This, by many, is seen as an invasion of privacy rather than something useful.
No privacy allowed in China
Chinese companies have been implementing different methods, including AI and algorithms, to keep a check on their employees. There have been several reports where it’s seen that many companies have started monitoring the programs their employees use on their computers to measure their productivity. Many firms have also installed CCTV cameras to ensure the employees are not spending or taking long lunch breaks. They have even started tracking their movements outside the office using mobile apps. Also Read: Samsung Electronic Skin is Innovation at its Best The new smile recognition Canon Office tech was announced last year as a part of the company’s workplace management tool. It, however, received a lot of criticism, as it forces people to smile just to get access to their work organisation. The debate around such AI cameras packed with smile recognition tech in global markets is still a big one as it invades the privacy of employees and forces them to not behave naturally. It also forces employees to hide their true feelings just to be able to work. It forces employees to give 100 percent even on days when someone is going through a personal loss or through a bad phase. China, on the other hand, is defending the use of such technologies stating that these have been designed only to promote a positive atmosphere. What do you think of Canon office tech? Do you think it attacks the very concept of privacy or is it useful to ensure that employees don’t waste time crying over personal issues during working hours? Let us know your views in the comments section.
