Detmar Straub and colleagues examine how AI tools, initially designed to empower workers, often evolve into instruments of managerial control. Through a case study of a Chinese firm, their research highlights how AI intended to support salespeople was gradually repurposed for surveillance and worker displacement. By addressing a gap in AI implementation research, their study underscores the risks of unintended managerial misuse, emphasizing the need for worker involvement in AI design and policy safeguards to ensure AI serves both organizational efficiency and employee well-being.
From worker empowerment to managerial control: The devolution of AI tools’ intended positive implementation to their negative consequences
