A Redbridge poll of NSW workers reveals surging anxiety over the use of artificial intelligence in work practices, surveillance and rostering, and overwhelming support for the NSW Government to tackle the problem.
The survey of 1,507 workers conducted in mid-January shows significant community anxiety over the use of digital workplace systems. It finds seven in ten workers (69 per cent) support tougher regulation of AI in workplaces, including requirements for consultation, limits on invasive surveillance, transparency in algorithmic decision-making and clear employer accountability. Almost two-in-five workers surveyed (38%) think the risks of AI outweigh the benefits.
“Artificial intelligence is not some future, abstract threat to workers,” said Mark Morey, Secretary of Unions NSW. “More than three in ten NSW workers are telling us the threat has already arrived, it is dangerously intensifying work and they want politicians to act.”
The poll result reflects evidence collected by NSW unions in workplaces across the State, including:
- Rideshare drivers being instructed to perform illegal manoeuvres such as U-turns at traffic lights or pickups in no-stopping zones;
- Woolworths warehouse workers being tracked and timed through headsets that dictate unachievable time targets for tasks;
- Amazon workers being forced to wear smart wristbands and infrared monitors, that monitor every physical movement; and
- Factory workers surveilled by high-definition remote surveillance which was used to monitor bathroom breaks and even the newspapers workers are holding.
The RedBridge survey shows these experiences are far from isolated. Around three in ten workers (30 per cent) say they have been required to meet targets that feel unrealistic or unfair because of automated systems, while a similar number (29 per cent) report decisions being made about their work that they could not understand or question.
The impact on workers’ health and safety is also clear. Three in ten NSW workers (30 per cent) report experiencing difficulty taking breaks when needed as a result of automated systems or AI, including around one in five (19 per cent) who say this occurs frequently.
“Being denied the ability to take breaks when your body or mind needs them is unsafe,” Morey said. “When algorithms drive work pace and scheduling, basic protections like rest breaks are being squeezed out.”
Surveillance is another major driver of workplace anxiety and 29 per cent report being monitored or surveilled in ways that feel intrusive as a result of AI or automated systems while one in four workers (24 per cent) report digital or AI systems are used to make decisions about rosters or shift allocation in their workplace. This rises to almost three in ten (28 per cent) among casual workers.
“These systems are degrading family life, income security and mental health,” Morey said. “When an algorithm decides your hours, your pay and your pace of work, workers deserve clear rules and real protections.”
“Crucially, the poll shows workers feel shut out of decisions about AI. Almost half of NSW workers (49 per cent) say they have very little or no say over how AI and digital systems are introduced in their workplace, while only around three in ten (31 per cent) say they have some or a lot of influence.
Support for government intervention is overwhelming. The survey finds strong majority support for tougher regulation of AI in workplaces, including requirements for consultation, limits on invasive surveillance, transparency in algorithmic decision-making and clear employer accountability.
“This is a rare issue where workers across industries, regions and political backgrounds agree,” Morey said. “They don’t want to stop technology but they want it used fairly, safely and with human oversight.
“Any politician who obstructs reform will find themselves on the wrong side of public opinion.”
Contact: Nick Lucchinelli 0422 229 032
