AI integration and digital surveillance trends in the workplace

The integration of artificial intelligence in the workplace is accelerating, with research from the European Central Bank indicating that the percentage of employees using AI has risen from 26% in 2024 to a projected 52% by 2026. While the median user reports saving approximately three hours per week—about 7.7% of their working time—the productivity gains are unevenly distributed, with a small number of users seeing much higher efficiency increases.

Simultaneously, the rise of digital surveillance, often referred to as ‘bossware,’ is expanding. Employers are increasingly using technologies to monitor granular details of employee activity, including call durations, task completion speeds, and even location data. These tools, which gained momentum during the shift to remote work, can now leverage AI and data analytics to create detailed digital profiles of workers. Such profiles may be used for performance evaluations, disciplinary actions, or predicting future behavior. Concerns have been raised regarding the privacy of employees and the potential for personal data to be shared with third-party companies.