Faculty Who Lead: Seema N. Patel

• Professor Seema N. Patel draws on decades of employment law and policy experience to examine how AI is changing workplaces in a new co-authored policy brief.
• She explains how “privacy-preserving” AI tools can allow employers to monitor and influence workers while technically complying with data privacy laws.
• The co-authored brief recommends that policymakers focus on outcomes and workers’ rights, instead of trying to keep pace with every new emerging technology.

As AI tools reshape workplaces, Professor Seema N. Patel helps break down what these changes mean for workers. Drawing on her background in labor rights enforcement, policy reform, and worker advocacy, Patel has co-authored The “Privacy” Trap: How “Privacy-Preserving AI Techniques” Mask the New Worker Surveillance and Datafication. The new policy brief examines how emerging technologies let employers analyze and influence worker behavior while technically complying with privacy laws, and it outlines principles for strengthening workplace protections.

Co-authored with experts from Data & Society, PowerSwitch Action, Coworker.org, and Pennsylvania State University, the report arrives as states consider new rules for automated systems on the job.

In the following Q&A, Patel discusses what workers and policymakers should understand as these technologies become more widespread.

Q: What should workers and policymakers know about “privacy-preserving” AI?

A: Privacy-preserving...

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