Over 300 workers from the distribution centers of The Warehouse Group, New Zealand’s largest retail chain, located in Auckland and Christchurch, took to the streets this week to protest.
They are concerned about two issues: firstly, that AI-based monitoring systems could lead to large-scale layoffs; secondly, that such systems might violate people’s privacy. The union’s accusations are quite specific: it claims that AI tracks the time employees spend using the restroom, which has deterred some workers from using these facilities at all. In some cases, this has even resulted in accidents; others have been forced to relieve themselves in the delivery areas.
The Worker First alliance stated that management would even scold employees for going to the bathroom. They also mentioned that the company had introduced “giant robots” for picking items and used AI-powered drones to replace some staff responsible for inventory checks.
The company’s response was essentially a complete denial: the claims about defecation never took place; the Chief Human Resources Officer stated that the scanning technology used was not related to AI and had nothing to do with using the restroom; moreover, the use of drones did not lead to any layoffs. However, they also admitted that it was “uncertain” what would happen regarding future job positions, and pledged to negotiate as much as possible and provide retraining and placement assistance for their employees.
Both parties hold their own views, and it is difficult for outsiders to determine the specific details. However, one thing is clear: logistics is one of the industries where AI and robots are being adopted at the fastest pace. The sensitivity of workers towards terms like “scanning” and “tracking” reflects, in essence, their anxiety regarding their jobs.
When the company says “it’s not AI,” what the workers hear is “we are being watched.” This gap in understanding will begin to appear in an increasing number of warehouses.