T-Mobile customers and employees spooked by new store tech

T-Mobile has been weaving automation deeper into the customer experience, and it's making people twitchy. Meanwhile, this digital push is making employees wonder whether they will be let go. In the midst of that, a new mystery of AI's making has cropped up.

You are being surveilled

T-Mobile has reportedly installed AI cameras inside its retail stores, according to an alleged employee. It's not clear what purpose the cameras serve, but employees feel customers have a right to know they are being watched by something smarter than regular cameras.

Employees believe the advanced cameras will be used to keep a microscopic eye on them. 

The cameras are reportedly sourced from a company called Flock, which has been accused of building a nationwide mass-surveillance infrastructure. The data could also be used by federal authorities.

Is it really that bad?

Standard CCTV cameras are installed in virtually all public places, and customers are usually aware of that. Apparently, the new AI cameras have even helped T-Mobile identify and apprehend a masked robber.

It's the sheer number and stealthy placement of the new cameras that have employees freaking out. They are even in places you would expect a little privacy, such as the hallway outside the bathrooms.

According to one employee, the cameras have been active in some stores since the beginning of the year.

Hard not to be skeptical

While AI cameras can help thwart security risks, T-Mobile can potentially also use them to identify patterns in shopper behavior. Given that T-Mobile already had cameras, just not AI-powered ones, customers don't necessarily need to be alarmed. However, this, combined with the company's aim to use AI to decipher and predict customer behaviour, does paint a dystopian picture.

Employees have more to lose than customers

Between the T-Life app and the treasure trove of data customers willingly provide to T-Mobile, customers have more or less consented to be tracked. This information helps T-Mobile provide tailored service, so subscribers don't need to worry.

However, with smarter cameras keeping an eye on stores, T-Mobile could afford to let even more employees go. The company has been laying off employees and is pursuing a self-service model. While the company has offered repeated reassurances that employees will still be there to assist customers, its behaviour says otherwise. The AI cameras are just another example of that.

We have asked T-Mobile for comment and will update the article if we hear back.