From Slack To Surveillance: Here's How Companies Monitor Your Communications With AI

In a move reminiscent of George Orwell's surveillance dystopia, companies are now deploying artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor communications on platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams.

This initiative, powered by the startup Aware, has been adopted by giants such as Walmart WMT, Delta Air Lines DAL, and T-Mobile TMUS, aiming to keep a digital eye on employee interactions, according to a report by CNBC.

Jeff Schumann, co-founder and CEO of Columbus, Ohio-based Aware, told the outlet, "The AI helps companies understand the risk within their communications," providing a real-time pulse on employee sentiment.

This method offers a dynamic alternative to the traditional, more static approaches like annual surveys. According to CNBC, this represents a significant shift in how companies engage with internal communications data.

While anonymizing data in its analytics product, Aware's suite of tools can detect a range of inappropriate behaviors, including bullying, harassment and discrimination.

"Aware's analytics tool — the one that monitors employee sentiment and toxicity — doesn't have the ability to flag individual employee names," Schumann said.

However, the company's eDiscovery tool can pinpoint individuals in cases involving extreme threats or risk behaviors, as pre-defined by the client.

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While the application of this technology by companies like AstraZeneca AZN focuses on scanning legal records without delving into sentiment analysis, Delta Air Lines has adopted both Aware's analytics and eDiscovery tools.

Delta informed CNBC that it employs these tools to track trends and sentiment, serving as a means to collect feedback from both employees and other stakeholders.

According to Schumann, Aware has experienced an average annual revenue growth of 150% over the last five years. The company's typical clientele comprises organizations with approximately 30,000 employees. Notable competitors in this sector encompass Qualtrics, Relativity, Proofpoint, Smarsh and Netskope.

Integrating AI into workplace monitoring has sparked a debate on privacy and ethics, with AI accountability experts raising concerns over potential overreach and the implications for employee freedom.

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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo: Shutterstock