In Finland, a four-legged robot has been deployed to monitor workers’ activity and health status on construction sites.
I have been working in the Finnish construction industry for seven years. My first encounter with worker monitoring was through the Valttikortti card, which was used to log workers in and out of construction sites. As the company grew, we were all required to install the Movenium app on our mobile phones. This app logs workers into the site based on GPS data and records work activities, attendance, payroll, and even vehicle logs.
The introduction of Movenium was my first red flag regarding worker surveillance, as it continuously tracks the worker’s location—though not actively the entire day, only when logging in and out. Yes, Movenium makes work management easier for both employer and employee, but it should not be forgotten that it is also a tool for control.
A few days ago, a video appeared in my social media feed showing a robot patrolling a construction site, monitoring and tracking workers’ movements. Upon seeing this, I realized that the level of surveillance has been increased once again.
How Does the Robot Work?
Each worker is required to carry a tracking chip in their pocket, which pinpoints their exact location and monitors their health status.
- Hungover? The system will detect it on a biometric graph—don’t even think about coming to work in that state!
- Break time abuse? If you spend too much time on your phone, the robot will come over to check on you, film you, and ask why you are not working.
- Overtime pay? Forget about it. The robot will compare your six-month work statistics and claim that today’s overtime is statistically impossible because you spent half the day on your phone, and your hangover reduced your productivity.
- Smokers beware! No need to count your cigarettes anymore—if you open a fresh pack in the morning, the robot will keep track of how many have been smoked by the entire team, as every smoke break is now recorded.
A Tool for Control, Not Support
The most interesting part is that large corporations are particularly interested in robots that monitor workers rather than assist them. Imagine if this four-legged robot actually helped bricklayers by delivering materials or aiding in heavy lifting. Instead, it functions solely as a surveillance tool, not a work assistant.
Technology is advancing step by step, but with a clear intention: to enslave society. Take Movenium, for example. It started as a simple app, but before it, workers had more freedom. Yes, employers lost money due to inefficiencies, so they had to adapt to new technology—and thus, the snowball keeps rolling. The real question is: where does it stop?
I can bet that this robot already violates workers’ rights to an extent that is not compatible with the Finnish Constitution—unless workers have signed a consent form agreeing to be tracked on site.
/Mario Maripuu 20. october 2023/
