CAREER: Worker-Centered Design: Building Worker Voice into the Present and Future of Work

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming workplaces, presenting both opportunities and challenges for millions of workers. While AI can automate repetitive tasks and enhance productivity, some fear that these technologies may threaten job quality. This project investigates how to design AI systems that prioritize workers' input and needs. The research explores three areas in the food industry: frontline service such as AI-powered ordering systems, food preparation such as robotics in kitchens, and cleaning such as autonomous sanitation technologies. The research team will engage workers as active contributors to the design and implementation of AI technologies. Findings will inform practices that balance technological innovation with the needs of workers, offering a blueprint for a prosperous future of work for all. The research employs a multi-method participatory design approach. Through ethnographic studies at several sites, the research team will document how AI technologies are integrated into workplaces and how workers adapt to these changes. Observation at industry events and interviews with workers, managers, and technology developers will examine the impact of AI on work practices, including the development of new skills and roles, and assess implications for workplace safety and job satisfaction. Participatory design workshops and iterative prototyping sessions will engage workers in co-designing prototypes for AI technologies. Strategies to include worker perspectives will be explored at every stage of the technology lifecycle: design, deployment, and oversight. The prototypes will emphasize collaboration, autonomy, and job satisfaction, fostering sustainable workplace transformations. The project will result in (1) empirical insights into worker-AI interactions, (2) novel worker-driven prototypes, and (3) actionable strategies for incorporating worker input throughout the AI technology lifecycle. These findings aim to guide the design of AI systems that balance the needs of workers and organizations, contributing to broader societal and economic resilience. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.