Page 103 - The Ethics of ASEAN

Ethics of the ASEAN Human-Centric Workplace

questions in terms of copyright infringement of existing
artworks, rights of artists and whether artwork generated by AI
equates artwork produced by humans.
Adrian provides an example of productivity in the world of
coffee with a robotic barista developed by a company called
3
Café X. In its 2018 version, the robot could already make 120
cups of coffee per hour, compared to a human barista who can
produce about 20 cups per hour. This is a relatively easy ethics
case in deciding whether to replace the human barista.
Adrian describes another case that is not so easy. A
delivery company in China runs the real-time monitoring of
the delivery riders to evaluate and optimize their performance
and productivity. While delivery riders traditionally required
40 minutes per delivery, the monitoring algorithms gradually
reduced the average time to 30 minutes. This time pressure led
delivery riders to experience high stress and take more risks in
driving.
AI learning can also lead to bias in the human workforce.
Adrian takes the case of Amazon’s recruitment AI system which
actually led to only white males with specific degrees being
accepted as candidates. The system was not biased, it learned
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to select based on the goals set for recruitment by humans
which led to an unacceptable results-based ethical choice.
This is an example of how human resource professionals in
companies now need to take on new ethical responsibilities for
managing work.
The use of technology-based business models by platform
companies does not only have negative ethical consequences.
According to Adrian, we are now moving away from the
traditional management of work where gig workers have more
independence and flexibility to work according to their lifestyle
choices and aspirations. Adrian points out that Singaporean
youth choose employers based on flexibility and independence
in the workplace.
The downside of the gig economy is, of course, the lack of
benefits and what is counted as work compared to traditional
employment. In Singapore, for example, the government,

3 Usually operating in kiosks on the streets or in shopping malls, Café X’s
robotic baristas use its single robotic arm to make a variety of coffee using
predetermined movements for different orders received via the company’s
app. You can find out more about Café X on their website at https://cafexapp.
com/ retrieved 6 May 2023
4 “Amazon scraps secret AI recruiting tool that showed bias against women”
by Jeffrey Dastin. Published on Reuters on October 11, 2018. Link is https://
www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-jobs-automation-insight-
idUSKCN1MK08G Retrieved 15 October 2022

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