To get happy employees, they install a camera that only allows access if they smile

Companies have long realized the value of having Happy workers. If people enjoy going to Office The environment is better and thus productivity and good results are increased. However, the truth is that more than others employees In the world they usually feel unstimulatedWhether it’s your salary, your routine, or your colleagues, there are many reasons why you don’t always enjoy going to work. Think about it, the company Canon, On China, she has an idea: the place Cameras that only allow access if the person smiles.

The company looked for a way to solve a problem low morale instead of Profession And he decided he could do it by installing cameras with Technique from Smile recognition.

Equipped with a system Artificial intelligence (IA), these devices were placed in the offices of its Chinese subsidiary, Canon Information Technology.

The cameras basically only allow smiling workers to enter rooms or schedule meetings according to the company, this can ensure that all employees are happy while they are in the building.

Canon IT announced last year that it would begin installing “smile recognition” cameras as part of its toolkit Workplace managementBut the technology didn’t get much attention at the time. In fact, specialists pointed out that if it does not turn into news, it is because it is in the Asian country monitoring tools أدوات and control of this type.

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Strong employee control in China

The history of these cameras was released by a publication by The Financial Times highlighting how Chinese companies, helping Artificial intelligence s AlgorithmsThey monitor employees to a point that becomes alarming.

According to the publication, Chinese companies use a file Technique for various activities of control. For example, they constantly monitor their employees to see what software they use on their computers and measure their level of productivity. Also, it is common to use CCTV cameras to measure how long a lunch break is. And if that’s not enough, some track your movements out of the office using mobile apps.

Regarding this situation, the academic from King’s College London, Nick Srnicek, told the Financial Times: Algorithms Artificial intelligence does not replace workers. Instead, management is enhanced by these techniques. Technologies increase the frequency of people working with machines rather than the other way around, as happened during the Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century.”

However, the thing the expert highlights is that we can’t believe this kind of practice only happens in countries like China. This type of monitoring is also registered in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Amazon It is one of the clearest examples of this dynamic. Recently, employees reported a series of bad practices, especially in the warehouse

According to the employees, their downtime is not respected because Amazon meticulously tracks every second they spend in the warehouse to detect how long they are away from their main job and sends them messages if they pass, which, they deplore, doesn’t allow them or go to the bathroom when they need to.

Reply from Amazon had to create a file wellness program Which includes placing relaxation booths called “ZenBooth” or “Mindful Practice Room” where stressed warehouse employees can temporarily escape through mindfulness practices in individual interactive booths.

But other than these examples, professionals remember that software like Microsoft 365 with integrated monitoring tools is becoming more and more popular because of the home office.

So, in the end, smile recognition cameras are less risky in terms of monitoring, at least with clear cameras, than other, more accurate control systems.