Teachers at Euan Blair’s £1. 6bn tech training company, Multiverse, have raised concerns about 'remorseless' and 'unnerving' stress after the firm introduced an AI system to monitor and rate their teaching. The AI analyzes transcripts of online classroom sessions, flagging issues such as slow responses to disruptions, excessive use of filler phrases like 'sort of' and 'kind of', and prolonged one-to-one exchanges that disrupt group learning. Staff report feeling constantly watched, with some experiencing sleep disturbances and seeking therapy. The system, which replaces monthly human observations with daily AI monitoring, has led to increased anxiety, as teachers worry about potential negative marks for minor infractions. Multiverse, which supplies AI and digital skills training to sectors including the NHS and universities, claims the AI directs human oversight to where it’s most needed but has not directly addressed concerns about the system’s impact on mental health. The company says staff will gain dashboard access in time, but for now only managers can view the AI’s analysis. Critics argue the system is more surveillance than support, with one teacher warning that the data could be used to train AI to replace human instructors entirely.
The AI is programmed to flag persistent patterns of filler or hedging, even if the instructor eventually clarifies their point. It also marks instructors for visible confusion or self-correcting during instructions, regardless of whether the issue was resolved. Teachers say the system has led to managers pulling them up for suspected digressions when they were actually answering student questions. One teacher described the experience as 'impossible not to be affected mentally', while another called it 'continuous scrutiny'. The system’s introduction has raised alarms among union leaders, who warn of the need for greater regulation in the tech sector.
A union official highlighted the public’s shock at companies using intrusive surveillance on workers, noting that tech workers already feel the reality of an industry in need of oversight. The AI’s role in monitoring teaching is seen as a shift from supporting educators to imposing strict scrutiny, with critics arguing it undermines the craft of skilled workers and risks devaluing the role of human instructors. The company has not directly responded to concerns about the system’s impact on mental health, but its stance on AI use in education remains aligned with broader efforts to integrate technology into the UK economy.