Hired and fired by an algorithm. At Amazon, AI decides people
The dystopian future is among us. A Bloomberg report details how Amazon uses artificial intelligence algorithms to hire
The program, called “Flex”, uses artificial intelligence to determine how many drivers are needed for deliveries. The app, installed on the drivers' smartphones, measures whether they have delivered packages on time and whether they have followed up on special customer requests.
If a driver misses the delivery, he is automatically reported by the system.
This is what happened to Stephen Normandin, 63, an Army veteran Flex recently fired. He said the algorithms tracked his every move as he delivered packages to the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Normandin said Amazon unfairly punished him for events beyond his control, such as locked apartments that were impossible to deliver. He said each job is "given 110%," but the algorithm failed to see external factors that could affect deliveries.
“This really upset me because we're talking about my reputation. They say I haven't done the job when I know damn well I did, ”he said.
However, this does not interest the AI algorithm at the service of the largest e-commerce service in the world. He sees the facts, not the conditions, so he fires. Life hanging from the case of a traffic jam or a closed apartment.
Flex began operations in 2015 as a way for Amazon to distribute its same-day goods to regional customers.
When they access it, Flex drivers find that the algorithms are monitoring their every move. Did they arrive at the delivery point when it was expected? Did they complete their journey within the prescribed time window? Did they leave a parcel in plain sight for porch thieves instead of hiding behind a planter as requested? Amazon's algorithms scan the incoming data stream for performance patterns and decide which drivers get the most work and which should be fired. Human feedback is rare. Drivers sometimes receive automated emails occasionally, but are mostly left behind by their ratings, which include four categories: Great, Great, Fair, or At Risk.
Bloomberg interviewed 15 Flex drivers who claim the AI mistakenly eliminated them. They claim that there is no way to contest their dismissal as Flex is fully automated. You can appeal through arbitration, but it costs $ 200. Amazon knows that delegating human resources work to machines is cheaper and more efficient, in spite of trade union rights. The AI system doesn't take environmental issues into account, according to workers, but don't worry, Amazon is preparing the next step: fully automated, driverless deliveries. In the end, as Stalin said, every man is a problem, no man, no problem. Only the AI will remain.
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The article Hired and fired by an algorithm. In Amazon, the AI decides people comes from ScenariEconomici.it .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/assunti-e-licenziati-da-un-algoritmo-in-amazon-la-ai-decide-delle-persone/ on Sun, 04 Jul 2021 06:38:00 +0000.