Imagine your boss is an algorithm. It decides your tasks, monitors your performance, and even evaluates your behavior—all without ever saying a word. This isn’t science fiction. It’s the reality for a growing number of workers across Europe and beyond, and it’s the focus of a groundbreaking new study: the ALMA-AI project.
Led by a team of researchers from eight European countries, the ALMA-AI project explores how artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic management (ALMA) are reshaping the workplace—and what that means for our health, well-being, and rights at work.
What Is Algorithmic Management?
Algorithmic management refers to the use of software and AI to perform tasks traditionally handled by human managers. Think of ride-sharing apps that assign drivers to passengers, warehouse systems that track every movement of a worker, or customer service platforms that monitor call times and satisfaction scores.
These systems can schedule shifts, assign tasks, monitor productivity, and even decide who gets bonuses—or who gets fired.
The Good, the Bad, and the Stressful
The ALMA-AI project found that while algorithmic management can improve efficiency and streamline operations, it also comes with serious risks—especially for workers’ mental health.
Here’s what the researchers discovered:
- Work is getting more intense. Algorithms often push workers to do more in less time, leading to stress, burnout, and fatigue.
- Autonomy is shrinking. Many workers feel they have less control over their schedules and tasks, which can lead to frustration and anxiety.
- Social isolation is rising. With less human interaction and more digital oversight, workers report feeling disconnected from colleagues and unsupported.
- Health is at risk. The combination of high demands and low control is a recipe for mental and physical health problems, including depression, anxiety, and even workplace accidents.
Not All Doom and Gloom
It’s not all bad news. The study also found that algorithmic systems can be used to improve workplace safety—if designed with care. For example, AI can monitor fatigue levels, track hazardous conditions, and even help prevent injuries.
But here’s the catch: these benefits only materialize when workers are involved in the design and oversight of these systems.
A Call for Smarter, Fairer AI
The ALMA-AI project doesn’t just highlight problems—it offers solutions. The researchers recommend:
- Transparency: Workers should know how algorithms make decisions that affect them.
- Participation: Employees must have a say in how these systems are used.
- Oversight: Human managers should remain involved to ensure fairness and accountability.
- Regulation: Governments and institutions need to set clear rules to protect workers’ rights and well-being.
In fact, the European Union is already moving in this direction. The upcoming AI Act will classify many workplace AI systems as “high-risk,” requiring companies to assess their impact on health, safety, and fundamental rights.
Why This Matters
As AI becomes more embedded in our daily work lives, the way we manage people is changing fast. The ALMA-AI project reminds us that technology should serve people—not the other way around.
If we get it right, algorithmic management could help create safer, fairer, and more supportive workplaces. But if we ignore the risks, we may find ourselves working for machines that care more about metrics than mental health.
The future of work is being written in code. Let’s make sure it’s a future worth working for.
Martín, J. (Ed.). (2025). Algorithmic management and AI-based systems as a new form of work organisation: Psychosocial factors and implications for Occupational Safety and Health (ALMA-AI project). Partnership for European Research in Occupational Safety and Health (PEROSH). https://doi.org/10.23775/20250616
