Issue #21: Can these two wearables increase productivity?
The Oura ring and doppel wristband nudge workers into more productivity
Headlines you shouldn’t miss
BLOOMBERG Much ‘Artificial Intelligence’ Is Still People Behind a Screen: A 2019 study showed that 40% of AI startups don’t really work with machine learning but heavily rely on human labor. As investors are heavily pouring money into AI, some companies pursue a “fake it ‘til you make it” mantra while disguising the workers behind their services.
FINANCIAL TIMES A global AI bill of rights is desperately needed: AI algorithms pose the threat of magnifying instead of minimizing discrimination. They are based on data sets based on a world where certain demographic groups struggle more than others. Many AI users are not aware. A global AI bill of rights is needed to combat discriminatory AI-based decision-making.
SCIENCE FOCUS How an AI finished Beethoven’s last symphony and what that means for the future of music: Computer scientists at Playform AI — a Rutgers University-based startup — have finished Ludwig van Beethoven’s 10th symphony. Lead researcher Professor Ahmed Elgammal believes that AI could be capable of composing original music. Musicians and composers showed mixed reactions to the advancement.
TECH HQ What ‘Great Resignation’? Jobs in AI are growing twice as fast as any other: Turnover rates have spiked in tech and healthcare over the past months in the United States. What has been labeled as the ‘Great Resignation’ might partially explain the significant demand in the AI sector, with high-paying jobs openings growing faster than in most other sectors.
EATER Robot Cafe Proudly Defends (Exactly Zero) Workers From Pushy Customers: A Canadian fully-automated coffee joint called RC Coffee operates without any workers at all. Writer Jaya Saxena criticizes the automation of the leisure industry. For workers, the gradual automation of easily accessible jobs is becoming a threat. RC Coffee defends its practices pointing at the massive labor shortage in the industry.
IT NEWS AFRICA Why Are Kenyan Drivers Suing Uber? In 2016, Kenyan Uber drivers filed suit against the platform. The drivers criticize that the minimum rates per kilometer fell unexpectedly and to an unsustainable level, from $0.54 to $0.32. A court now ruled that the lawsuit could commence. The drivers are pushing for higher compensation.
The Oura Ring and the doppel wristband prove that health, technology and work are closely intertwined
In recent years, health consciousness has reached new heights. People are concerned about the proper diet, the right amount of movement, and due to the pandemic, they seek information that indicates if they might have contracted Covid-19. The growing health consciousness has influenced the tech world. Health tech is not a niche segment anymore. Analysts expect that in 2021, the sector will reach $13 billion in revenue. Sleep trackers, fitness trackers, blood glucose monitors — one in five US Americans uses a wearable.
Many wearables make it easier to maintain interest in your health. The software is gamified and you get real-time data about your body. For the most part, the data users analyze is personal and they mainly use wearables in the private realm. But what happens when wearables creep into the productivity debate?
With the aforementioned growing health consciousness, people have become increasingly aware that health and productivity go hand in hand.
Remember how billionaire industrialists used to be portrayed in cartoons and movies? As fat cats: Overweight men, often smoking a cigar.
This image has changed drastically. Modern wealthy business people are in shape and show off. Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen, wasn’t shy to step on a surfboard and flex his athleticism at the age of 62.
Health data becomes a fountain of productivity
Clearly, performance and taking care of yourself are en vogue in the business world.
Therefore, it is not surprising that wearables are diving into this zeitgeist. The Finnish Oura Ring and the British doppel wristband are two products that use health data tracking for performance enhancement.
The Oura ring rose to fame during the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic. The device measures body temperature and heart rate. It can use this data to calculate how many calories you’ve burned and how deep and recovering your sleep has been. Prior to the pandemic, mostly Hollywood stars were spotted with the $300 high-tech ring.
During the pandemic, some businesses turned to the Oura ring to reduce the risk of Covid outbreaks. The temperature measurements are pretty accurate and indicate an early rise in body temperature, which needs to be monitored. Infected workers could isolate themselves before they developed a wide range of symptoms and protect co-workers.
However, this benign application of the Oura ring isn’t the only way businesses can use the technology. YouTuber Iman Gadzhi explains that all of his employees receive an Oura ring. They use the data to “compete” about the healthiest lifestyle, and as the young businessman says: “we’re poking fun at people who haven’t had good sleep scores.”
I see that this is supposed to be a fun way to nudge people towards a healthy lifestyle. But why should my employer know if I was out on a Wednesday night and had a glass of wine, which will inevitably affect my sleep score? The professional realm expands into private time and space, and people are supposed to optimize their habits for the sake of productivity and rest. A healthy lifestyle is a good thing, but employers should not have access to sensitive health data. Imagine your data indicates a disease you’re not aware of and your boss decides to strip projects off your desk because you don’t seem fit enough?
Hacking your body with a wristband
The doppel wristband uses insights from psychology and neuroscience. The wearable sends rhythmic vibrations, which are supposed to make users calmer or more focused. Low-paced vibrations are supposed to calm nervous presenters before an important pitch. High-paced vibrations shall put people into a state of flow and concentration.
In a world of push notifications, social media rage and other distractions, hacking your body sounds like a good idea. The device appears to be an easy remedy for the weaknesses of your body and mind. While the $240 wristband hasn’t become as successful as the Oura ring, it indicates a more significant trend: Technology is an extension of productivity-enhancing methods and tools. In the past, workouts, meditations or pills and drugs were the methods to enhance productivity. Now technology has become the holy grail of optimization.
In the future, wearables tracking data could become a lot more common. They seem to offer real benefits — from better sleep to better concentration. These things are desirable. However, many questions have to be discussed if wearables are analyzing sensitive data in professional life: Can workers disagree to share their data, or will they be sanctioned? What happens to sensitive health data — where will it be stored? Based on data, who will be at risk of being disadvantaged — people with heart conditions, metabolic issues, or sleep apnea? Workers and business owners must be prepared for these conversations. Digital progress won’t stop any time soon.
Study of the week: Every 10th German company wants to offer less WFH than before the pandemic
Forget about the so-called “New Normal” and remote work becoming the default. The German Institute of Employment Research has been conducting surveys with 1.500 to 2.000 companies since the outbreak of Covid-19. The latest data indicates that there hasn’t been a remote work revolution in small and medium-sized companies. Most SMEs are not adapting to a new remote world and are not planning to change their work-from-home (WFH) policies. In fact, every 10th company wants to offer fewer WFH options.
However, large companies (250 employees or more) have been adapting and roughly two-thirds are willing to expand the scope of remote work.
The researchers indicate that the main reasons are among the companies not willing to expand remote work options: 1. Many tasks can’t be performed from home. 2. Distance is perceived as a hindrance to collaboration 3. Concerns about unequal treatment of remote and on-site workers.
Tweet of the week: India’s rising
In Western media, India’s economy is underrepresented. The second most populated country in the world, however, is progressing in the startup ecosystem. 32 companies have entered the exclusive club of the unicorns — startups that have a valuation of $1 billion or more. Take a look at the sectors they’ve emerged in: