Telecom employees are advocating for government regulations on the utilization of artificial intelligence within the industry, expressing concerns that AI is being utilized to surveil workers and alter the accents of foreign call center agents. The Canadian Telecommunications Workers Alliance voiced these concerns before the House of Commons’ standing committee on industry and technology in Ottawa on April 30. This alliance, representing 32,000 workers in Canada’s telecom sector, including employees from Bell, Rogers, and Telus, consists of major unions such as Unifor, the United Steelworkers union, and the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
During the presentation, Roch Leblanc, Unifor’s telecommunications sector director, highlighted that at least one company was employing AI to conceal the accents of offshore agents. This practice could potentially deceive customers into believing they are conversing with Canadian-based staff when, in reality, the jobs have been outsourced. Leblanc emphasized the importance of transparency to customers when AI technologies are employed.
Approximately 20,000 jobs have been lost in the telecom sector over the past decade due to automation and offshoring, with concerns that the integration of AI may further accelerate this trend. AI applications in telecommunications are notably advanced, monitoring workers by tracking technicians’ activities and measuring task durations. Additionally, AI can scrutinize call center dialogues word-for-word to redirect calls or detect patterns associated with sales and subscriptions.
Leblanc urged for government restrictions on AI-based monitoring, citing increased psychological stress and workloads for employees. Nathalie Blais, a research advisor with the Canadian Union of Public Employees, emphasized the necessity for AI to be utilized ethically for the collective benefit, rather than in ways that could mislead individuals or jeopardize job security.
The alliance proposed the establishment of a permanent federal working group on artificial intelligence to foster collaboration among government, industry, and civil society on the responsible implementation of AI technologies. They also called for enhanced safeguards to protect workers’ employment, rights, and the confidentiality of Canadians’ data.
In response, Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon indicated that the forthcoming national AI strategy from the federal government will assess the impacts on the labor market.