Do you want to find out how AI is being used to track and monitor worker productivity in workplaces across America? AI tracks, monitors, and measures productivity in the workplace. Are you interested in finding out how it impacts workers’ happiness?
This project is not being offered for the current term. Please check back next semester for updates.
Imagine a future in which your employer uses artificial intelligence (AI) to incessantly track and score your work. Algorithms monitor your physical location, your keystrokes, and even your eye movements. They compute productivity metrics that determine your wage, retention, and promotion. What would be your reaction as a worker?
The objective of this project is to study the nature and pervasiveness of AI and algorithmic surveillance in the workplace. Students will work in small groups to identify which kinds of AI and algorithmic monitoring systems exist, how they operate, and how widely they have been deployed in workplaces across the United States.
The specific outcomes of this project will be identified by the faculty mentor at the beginning of your collaboration.
| Length of commitment | About a semester; 3-5 months |
| Start time | Fall, Spring |
| In-person, remote, or hybrid? | Hybrid |
| Level of collaboration | Small group project (2-3 students) |
| Benefits | Research Experience |
| Who is eligible | All undergraduate students enrolled in ECO 498 Undergraduate Research |
Joanne McLaughlin
Associate Professor
Economics
Phone: (716) 645-8685
Email: jsmclaug@buffalo.edu
The specific preparation activities for this project will be customized through discussions between you and your project mentor. Please be sure to ask them for the instructions to complete the required preparation activities.
ECO 498 Undergraduate Research, Future of Work, AI, Workplace Monitoring, Digital Surveillance, Economics
