Moodbeam HR emotion tracking blasted as 'invasive'
A wristband-based system that enables organisations to assess and compare the emotional state of individuals and teams was criticised as inappropriate and invasive. According to the BBC , UK-based AI start-up Moodbeam is hawking wearable silicon wristbands that its says enable organisations to assess and compare the emotional state of individuals and teams. Workers are encouraged to push yellow and blue buttons that indicate they are happy or sad; the data is then reported to workers' managers via a dashboard that includes a 'Daily Happiness Score'. Some commentators are less enthusiastic, reckoning it is unnecessary, invasive and likely to be inaccurate given how easily bored or frustrated workers can game it. On its website, Moodbeam claimed purported benefits for employers included 'Increased p roductivity', 'Improved p etention', and 'Reduced a bsenteeism'. System 🤖 Moodbeam 🔗 Developer: Moodbeam Country: UK Sector: Hea l th Purpose: Monitor emotions Technology: Pattern recognition Issue: Alignment; Privacy/surveillance; Transparency
- Date it happened
- 2021-01-01
- Organisation involved
- Moodbeam
- Product, system or model
- Moodbeam
This incident was imported from AIAAIC and is used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Our additions to it — the structured fields, the translation, the checks against other reports — are published under the same licence.
This is a record of what was reported, not a finding that anyone broke the law. If it names your organisation and you believe it is wrong, the corrections process is free and open to everyone.