Meet Your New Boss, Mr. Algorithm
16th November 2014
We all know the story about algorithms and work the past few years. Service jobs across the country are increasingly being managed with the help of mathematical models of customer demand, revolutionizing everything from taxi driving to food delivery, home cleaning, and laundromats. I have argued that the increased autonomy and flexibility of these jobs means that algorithms are taking over unions as the primary driver of workers’ rights in the 21st century.
But now, startups are starting to move up the corporate ladder, using algorithms to improve and disrupt professions that up until recently have seemed almost completely insulated from the efficiencies of computation.
November 16th, 2014 at 22:03
More than a few chemical plants are moving towards using hand-held units to direct workers. Management (Ok, modern “management”, which doesn’t actually manage those dirty people who turn valves) loves it because it provides complete accountability for every task in the plant. Upper management (those who get their bonuses in platinum bars) love it because the directions in the units can be reproduced in any language – including that of whatever 3rd World country they decide to exploit – for next to nothing. Union employees love them because 1) if all the tasks don’t get done, they can document their complaints about being understaffed and, 2) no supervisors can direct them to do any extra work that might be outside the list in the box. Consultants make a lot of money designing efficiency algorithms, and in the end not a damn thing is improved.