It became controversial after it was revealed that a Chinese company created an “artificial intelligence (AI) employee” with data from an employee who left the company.
According to the South China Morning Post, a game company in Shandong Province in northern China created an “AI worker” using information from a retired HR employee to carry out its work.
The AI staff handled basic tasks such as responding to inquiries, managing appointment schedules, making and presenting PowerPoints, and writing spreadsheets.
The AI employee’s profile was created by learning the data he handled while he was in office with the consent of the employee who left the company.
“AI employees can introduce themselves and communicate through the chat window,” said Xiaowi, a company employee. “Yesterday, we exchanged jokes together, but today he became artificial intelligence.”
“This experiment is a bold attempt by the company to see if artificial intelligence can handle simple and everyday tasks,” the company said. “It has not been disclosed to the outside world because there are still deficiencies.”
“We plan to develop a humanoid robot staff that can handle basic tasks such as reception and guidance and office reservations in the future,” it added.
The company’s attempt has been controversial around Chinese social media.
Internet users responded, “Did the employee agree to these proposals when he left the company? I can’t believe it,” and “Even if he left the company, the company should continue to pay him copyright fees.”
Another netizen criticized the flow of artificial intelligence replacing human jobs, saying, “Humanity has taken a big step toward its own destruction.”
“Chatting records, work emails, and personal work habits of all employees are all legally defined as personal information. In particular, some private conversations can be classified as “sensitive personal information,”” said Fujian, CEO of Henan Zzejin Law Office.
JENNIFER KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
