Teachers and trainers at Multiverse, the £1.6bn tech training company associated with Euan Blair, have told investigators they are suffering “horrendous stress” after the firm deployed artificial intelligence to monitor and score their online teaching.
Staff who deliver apprenticeship training in computer and AI skills to thousands of public and private sector employees across the UK said transcripts of their classroom sessions are now analysed by an AI model. The system generates scores and alerts human managers when instructors are suspected of failing to meet expected standards, according to the accounts.
Subheading: Staff describe constant surveillance
Several instructors described the monitoring as leaving them feeling “constantly watched” and called the process “remorseless” and “unnerving”. They told reporters that being subject to automated scoring had heightened workplace anxiety and contributed to sustained stress among teaching staff.
Subheading: How the monitoring works
According to the staff reports, the firm’s AI reviews transcripts of online lessons and assigns ratings that can prompt managerial intervention. The system is programmed to flag behaviours it interprets as problematic and escalate them to human supervisors, who may then take action based on the AI’s output.
Subheading: Company role and reach
Multiverse provides apprenticeship training in technology and artificial intelligence skills and works with thousands of trainees across the public and private sectors in the UK. The company has been valued at about £1.6 billion and its use of automated performance tools has drawn scrutiny from its own employees.
Subheading: Broader implications
The complaints from Multiverse staff underscore growing concerns about the use of AI for workplace monitoring and performance evaluation, particularly in roles that rely on human judgment and interpersonal skills. Experts and employee advocates have increasingly warned that automated oversight can increase pressure on workers, risk false positives, and shift managerial decision-making onto opaque algorithms.
Multiverse has not been reported to have publicly detailed the design or safeguards of its monitoring system in the material provided with these accounts. The allegations add to a broader debate over how employers introduce AI tools into people-focused professions and how those systems should be audited, explained to staff, and governed.