“They’re Watching You at Work.” “AI Here, There, Everywhere.” “What People Hate About Being Managed by Algorithms.” We are no stranger to headlines conjuring up science fiction images of a future in which human judgment, ingenuity, and initiative are increasingly undermined by machine-based management. The dominant narrative regarding technology at work is that the machines are replacing human judgment and as a result making work more technocratic and controlled.
How Companies Are Using Tech to Give Employees More Autonomy
It can provide guidance, supervision, and governance — while leaving the most critical decisions to humans.
January 28, 2022
Illustration by Simoul Alva
Summary.
While the dominant narrative about tech today is that human judgment is being replaced by machines, particularly far down on the org chart, the truth is far more nuanced. The authors have conducted research into decentralized firms in which individual employees have more, rather than less, autonomy. They found that in these firms it is precisely technology — AI, sophisticated data systems, blockchain, and so on — which enables employees to exercise greater strategic judgment. For those concerned about automation and tech’s rise in business, this article shows ways that technology can provide guidance, supervision, and governance, while leaving a business’s most critical choices in the hands of humans where they belong.