Your next performance review might be scored by a model you’ve never met. We dig into how AI is reshaping hiring, promotion, discipline, and workplace surveillance, and we explain what that means for your rights under anti-discrimination and privacy laws. From the promise of efficiency to the reality of bias, we unpack why intent isn’t required for liability and how disparate impact applies whether a manager or a machine makes the call.
We walk through real examples, including Amazon’s abandoned hiring tool that learned to prefer men, and the EEOC’s first AI hiring settlement that signaled employers can’t outsource accountability to vendors. We also trace the policy whiplash: federal agencies stepping back from guidance, while states and cities step up. New York City’s bias audits and applicant notices, Illinois’s expanded protections and BIPA enforcement, and California’s “No Robobosses” proposals point to a patchwork of rules that matter the moment software touches your resume, your video interview, or your keyboard.
Surveillance is expanding too. Keystroke tracking, productivity dashboards, and biometric tools promise insight but raise serious questions about consent, data handling, and monitoring off-duty or in private spaces. We share practical steps: ask if AI is used in decisions about you, request accessible alternatives, document outcomes that don’t add up, and remember that retaliation for raising concerns is illegal. The technology may be new, but your core protections are not. Subscribe for more clear guidance on navigating AI at work, share this conversation with a colleague who needs it, and leave a review to help others find the show.
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Disclaimer: For educational use only, not intended to be legal advice.