Workers push back when AI becomes the boss, new research suggests
Millions of people now work for apps that decide what tasks they are assigned, how much they are paid, and even whether they get to keep their job. But new research shows that workers are pushing back on these systems, learning, adapting, and finding new ways to regain control over their work.
Imagine going to work without a human manager. Instead, software with integrated AI capabilities decides which tasks you receive, measures your performance, and decides whether you can continue working.
That is already the reality for many people working through digital platforms such as Uber, Deliveroo and Fiverr.
A new study by Dr. Jennifer Jiang and Professor Martin Wiener (TU Dresden), and professors Alexander Benlian (TU Darmstadt), Martin Adam (University of Göttingen), and Magnus Mähring (House of Innovation, SSE), shows that instead of simply accepting these digital rules, workers are learning how these systems work, sharing knowledge with one another, and developing new ways to influence the algorithms.
“It’s easy to think of platforms and algorithms as all-powerful,” says Magnus Mähring. “But our research shows that workers are constantly experimenting, learning, and adapting. There is an ongoing interaction and adaptation between workers and the technologies that manage them.”
To understand how this happens, the researchers analyzed nearly one million online forum posts, conducted interviews with platform workers, and examined app updates, YouTube videos, and company communications.
Together, these sources reveal a continuous back-and-forth between digital platforms and workers, with each side adapting to the other's actions.
Three ways workers regain control
The researchers found that workers typically respond in three different ways. Some learn how the software works and adapt their behavior to improve their earnings or gain greater flexibility. Others reduce their dependence on a single platform by switching between different services or finding alternative sources of income. Then there are those who organize with other workers, challenge decisions, file complaints, or take legal action to change the rules themselves.
These strategies look very different, but they all have the same purpose: helping workers regain control over jobs that are increasingly managed by algorithms instead of people.
The study also shows that these responses are rarely immediate. Workers first try to understand what has changed, gather information from colleagues and online communities, and decide which approach is most likely to improve their situation.
“Workers don’t just react to technology,” says Magnus Mähring. “They actively try to shape how these systems develop, even if the balance of power often favors the platforms.”
What this means for the future of work
Although the researchers studied ride-hailing platforms, the findings are relevant beyond the gig economy.
Today, software is increasingly used to allocate work, monitor performance and support management in sectors ranging from logistics and warehousing to customer service and healthcare. As AI becomes more involved in everyday management, understanding how people respond becomes increasingly important.
The findings also challenge a common assumption: when workers appear to accept automated decisions, it does not necessarily mean they think those decisions are fair. They may lack the information, resources, or opportunities needed to challenge them.
For organizations, the research shows that introducing AI into management goes far beyond technology: It is also about trust, transparency and creating opportunities for employees to understand and influence systems that increasingly shape their working lives.
Read the full research paper “How Platform Workers Contest Algorithmic Management: Theorizing the Dynamics of Algoactivistic Practices.”
