Autism and emotion recognition technologies in the workplace

Area of Science:

• Workplace technology ethics
• Autism and artificial intelligence
• Human-computer interaction

Background:

• Emotion recognition technologies (ERTs) are increasingly used in workplaces, claiming to interpret internal emotional states from external cues.
• Prior research indicates a link between autism and ERT development, yet the specific workplace implications for autistic individuals remain under-examined.
• Concerns exist regarding the scientific validity of ERTs and their potential to misinterpret emotions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the risks heightened for autistic individuals when ERTs are implemented in the workplace.
• To analyze issues arising from the development and deployment of ERTs concerning autistic workers.
• To advocate for future research on the implications of ERTs for autistic people.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent literature on autism and emotion recognition technologies.
• Analysis of issues in ERT development, including scientific flaws and data representation.
• Examination of implementation concerns, such as data privacy and the imposition of neurotypical standards.

Main Results:

• Fundamental scientific problems exist within ERTs, challenging their reliability.
• Underrepresentation and problematic annotation of autistic individuals in datasets hinder accurate ERT development.
• Workplace implementation of ERTs raises concerns about invasiveness, data sensitivity, and the enforcement of neurotypical norms on autistic employees.

Conclusions:

• The development and deployment of ERTs present significant disadvantages and potential harm to autistic workers.
• There is a critical need for more research into the impact of ERTs on autistic individuals in the workplace.
• Future research should involve diverse participants to understand autistic people's perceptions and experiences with these technologies.