Characterized by the Government Services Union as a ‘spy for management,’ feds are leasing the robot for two years for $39,663
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A robot manufactured by a Toronto-based company is raising eyebrows among public servants who fear they are being “spied on.”
GlobalDWS specializes in robotic platform integration and service robot implementation. One of its products briefly appeared in federal office buildings in Gatineau earlier this year and is set to return from July to October.
Per CBC, the product, which contains 20 sensors and a 360-degree camera, is said to collect data on occupancy, air quality, light, noise, humidity, temperature and gas levels.
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It has been dubbed “the little robot” by Ottawa workers, who cite privacy and data concerns. The government, meanwhile, says the robot does not identify individual employees and is intended to improve environmental health and safety.
The government is paying $39,663 to lease the robot for two years, reports CBC.
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Bruce Roy, president of the Government Services Union, characterized the robot as “a spy for management.”
“We believe that one of the robot’s tasks is to monitor who is there and who is not,” he told CBC.
Beginning in September, public servants in the core public administration who are eligible for a hybrid work arrangement will be required to work on-site a minimum of three days per week.
“Folks say, why is there a robot here?” Roy added. “Doesn’t my employer trust that I’m here and doing my work properly?”
Jean-Yves Duclos, minister of public services and procurement, refuted the claim that the robot is being used to enforce back-to-office rules.
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Instead, he told CBC the data collected by the robot will be useful as the government prepares to cut down on office space in the years ahead.
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“These robots, as we call them, these sensors observe the utilization of office space and will be able to give us information over the next few years to better provide the kind of workplace employees need to do their job,” Duclos said.
“These are totally anonymous methods that allow us to evaluate which spaces are the most used and which spaces are not used, so we can better arrange them.”
Still, Roy said there remains concerns about the data collected by the robot and the routines it observes, such as employee washroom breaks, and how that data is stored and used.
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Yahya Saad, co-founder of GlobalDWS, told CBC that the robot doesn’t capture identifiable information and deletes images, unless otherwise requested.
Workplace autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) have grown in popularity in recent years, claiming to enhance workplace efficiency and safety, among other measures.
Pittsburgh-based Aethon manufacturer robots to solve “pressing labour availability challenges” and aims “improve the workplace experience” by automating some tasks and increase operational efficiency.
The OTTO 1500, a heavy-duty robot from Kitchener-based Otto Motors, moves large pallets and heavy items in warehouses and manufacturing facilities. It also has stated intention of optimizing workflow and reducing manual labour.
Other workplace robots specialize in transporting supplies and materials, picking and sorting products and streamlining workplace operations.
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