Privacy concerns are being raised after firms implemented brain-reading devices to monitor employee emotions
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Privacy concerns are being raised this week after reports surfaced that a number of Chinese employers have adopted mind-reading technology to track the moods and emotions of workers.
According to the South China Morning Post, electronic sensors that fit into hats and helmets are being used to measure emotion and ultimately drive productivity.
Although details are not clear about how exactly the technology works, reports suggest sensors are being used to monitor spikes in emotion such as rage, anxiety and depression.
While the technology has been widely slammed by critics around the world, the Post also reported that the brain-scanning technology is government-backed and currently in use across the electronic equipment, electric power supply and telecommunications industries, as well as the military.
Despite the criticism, a number of employers that have implemented the technology told the Post that it actually benefits employees as leaders are able to monitor workers’ stress levels and adjust shift patterns and breaks accordingly.
Cheng Jingzhou, an official in charge of the monitoring system at the State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power in Hangzhou, said the system had been hugely successful and drove profits by around two billion yuan after it was rolled out in 2014.
“There is no doubt about its effect,” he told the news outlet.
