Workplace surveillance master Amazon rolls out smart delivery glasses for its drivers
The gadgets will ensure that no time on the clock will go unwatched.
Amazon rolls out smart delivery glasses for its drivers. By Amazon / Cybernews.
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- Amazon is preparing to roll out smart delivery glasses for its drivers.
- The glasses can scan packages, show walking directions, capture delivery proof, and send pet alerts.
- Critics say the glasses could intensify worker surveillance and pressure drivers to move faster.
- Privacy advocates warn the devices may capture images of homes and people without consent.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Almost a year after a proud announcement on its in-house news website, Amazon is set to roll out “smart delivery glasses” that will further improve the corporation’s workplace surveillance machine.
The e-commerce giant has long been synonymous with the relentless surveillance of its workers, especially delivery drivers.
The AI-powered product Driver.i is currently installed in most vehicles in Amazon’s fleet and records drivers at all times. Plus, the Amazon app constantly tracks a driver’s location and pace.
When a driver commits an infraction (or the system determines they did), the system sends video of their alleged offense to Amazon. Punishment follows.
For Amazon, even this is not enough. Last year, the company introduced “smart delivery glasses,” and now, a recent post on Reddit’s r/AmazonDSPDrivers community suggests that training with the glasses has finally begun.
On the surface, the smart AI-powered glasses are marketed as a useful replacement for the smartphone.
Drivers wearing these glasses don’t have to check their phones for directions and destinations. They don’t have to swipe them to confirm deliveries or use them for photographing packages. In short, drivers can pay full attention to their surroundings.
“These glasses help Delivery Associates scan packages, see heads-up walking directions, capture proof of delivery, and receive pet alerts – all without the use of their phone,” Amazon said.
“The technology creates a hands-free experience, reducing the need to look between the phone, the package, and the surrounding area.”
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The other part of the story is that the smart glasses will squeeze the maximum amount of deliveries from their drivers, whilst the AI watches them all the time. That’s inhumane, says C. R. Calabria, a writer for Jacobin.
There’s no fundamental reason why efficient package delivery needs to involve dehumanizing surveillance, AI discipline, and otherwise degrading labor conditions,C. R. Calabria, a writer for Jacobon, pointed out.
Critics also argue that Amazon’s smart glasses pose significant privacy risks, push workers to the limit, and commodify every second of labor.
As Bloomberg’s Dave Lee has recently pointed out, drivers wearing the gadgets will be capturing images and video feeds of private properties and individuals without their consent.
The data will presumably be fed back to Amazon’s AI systems.
