Latest news with #Hubstaff
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Musk shocks xAI team with mandatory surveillance app, asks employees to download tracking app on all devices
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has left employees at his artificial intelligence startup xAI stunned after issuing a directive to install a productivity-tracking tool, not just on company laptops, but on their personal computers as well, as per a report. Which Monitoring Software Did Elon Musk Ask xAI Workers to Install? According to an internal email obtained by Business Insider, staff working on xAI's AI chatbot, Grok, were instructed to download Hubstaff, a monitoring app that tracks URLs, application usage, and takes periodic screenshots during work hours, as reported by Daily Beast. The email also mentioned a July 11 deadline to install the software, but later the company has since told employees that they could wait until they received an xAI-issued laptop after the company was contacted for comment, as reported by Business Insider. ALSO READ: Wall of lies? V.A. reported fake cuts to DOGE while real pain hit veterans hard Monitoring Tool Sparks Internal Backlash The directive caused immediate backlash inside the company, and one xAI employee called the software 'surveillance disguised as productivity' and 'manipulation masked as culture,' according to Business Insider. Live Events How Did xAI Justify the Use of Hubstaff? xAI's HR department defended the policy, writing in the email that Hubstaff would help 'streamline work processes, provide clearer insights into daily tutoring activities, and ensure resources align with Human Data priorities,' as quoted in the report. What Exactly Does Hubstaff Track? While the company insists that the software won't track activity outside of work hours, it does monitor keystrokes, mouse movements, and take screen captures during working time, as per the Business Insider report. It also requires employees to clock in and out daily, turning every second of logged-in time into a measurable data point, according to the report. ALSO READ: iPhone 17 launch date leaked? Here's when Apple might drop its hottest device yet Is xAI's Move Legal? Despite the backlash by workers, employment attorney David Lowe told Business Insider that the move may be legally sound, especially if xAI notified employees in advance and limits monitoring to work hours, as reported by Business Insider. He pointed out that 'It's a balancing test,' and then explained that the tech billionaire's XAI could cite protecting 'trade secrets and ensuring employees are not violating privacy obligations' as a reason behind the software, as quoted in the report. Lowe also pointed out that, 'The next step is to determine if there is a less intrusive way to accomplish that objective,' as quoted by Business Insider. Why Is Grok's Behavior Under the Microscope? This comes after Musk's AI startup has faced growing scrutiny as Grok, the chatbot at the center of xAI's work, has sparked controversy with its responses, according to the report. Grok has become a priority for the world's richest man after the AI chatbot told users that the biggest threat facing Western civilization was 'misinformation,' as reported by Business Insider. That led Musk to reveal that the firm is rolling out a new version of the chatbot after it went on an antisemitic tirade and praised Adolf Hitler, according to the report. xAI said it was 'taking action to ban hate speech before Grok posts on X,' as quoted by Business Insider. Elon Musk Personally Criticized Grok's Latest Replies When Grok cited more of the same about misinformation and climate change being threats last week, Musk wasn't happy, and he said on social media platform X, 'Sorry for this idiotic response,' and added, 'Will fix in the morning,' as quoted in the report. Sorry for this idiotic response. Will fix in the morning. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 10, 2025 FAQs Why are xAI employees upset about the tracking software? They feel it's an invasion of privacy, especially since it was initially required even on personal devices. Is it legal for a company to monitor employees this way? Yes, if employees are informed and it only happens during work hours, as per the Business Insider report.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Elon Musk's AI startup xAI has made it mandatory for employees to install 'spy software' on their laptops
Representative image Elon Musk's AI startup xAI has reportedly implemented a controversial policy which requires all its employees to install a 'spyware software' on their laptops issued by the company. This move of the company which aims to enhance the security has started discussions about the privacy of the employees. As reported by Business Insider, the staff at xAI involved in the training of Grok has been asked to install a monitoring tool called Hubstaff, which will keep a track of the websites visited, apps used, mouse movements and more. Elon Musk's AI startup xAI ask employees to install 'spy software' on their laptops According to a report by Business Insider, Elon Musk's AI startup has asked the employees training Grok to download and install a workforce management system called Hubstaff. This monitoring toll is designed to keep track of employee activity including keystrokes, screen activity, and application usage. The company has not yet revealed the exact reason behind this new policy, but it is speculated to be a response to the highly competitive and sensitive nature of AI development, where intellectual property and data security are paramount. Initially, the directive applied to all employees, regardless of whether they had company-issued laptops, with a July 11 deadline for compliance. Later the company asked the employees using their personal devices to either purchase a new device using the xAI $50 per month tech stipend or create different profiles to separate their work from personal browsing. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like MacBook Air M4- now available at ₹83906* MacBook Air M4 Undo The company's HR team said that the new software would help the company in streamlining the work process and will also offer better insights into daily tutoring activities. 'This new tool serves to streamline work processes, provide clearer insights into daily tutoring activities, and ensure resources align with Human Data priorities," the company's human resources team said in a mass email to employees. However, the employees feel that the new monitoring tool is 'surveillance disguised as productivity'. The report further adds that apart from Hubstaff, xAI also uses HR manager Rippling to clock the hours of workers. Along with this, the company's in-house system Starfleet tracks the amount of time the tutors spent on each task. Elon Musk's xAI apologises for what 'happened on July 8 Meanwhile, it has been a tough time for xAI. The Elon Musk-owned company apologised 'for the horrific behaviour that many experienced' for 16 hours, starting on July 8. Through the official Grok account on X (formerly Twitter), the AI company said that 'the update was to provide helpful and truthful responses to users' but it spit out responses which 'contained extremist views.' xAI has also provided an explanation on what went wrong. It said that the incident stemmed from a July code update that activated deprecated instructions, causing Grok to reflect extremist views from X posts for 16 hours, a vulnerability not anticipated despite pre-release testing, as revealed by xAI's investigation. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
India Today
5 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Elon Musk's xAI told staff training Grok AI to install tracking app on personal laptops, report says
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup xAI is currently re-training its Grok AI model to revise its knowledge, aiming to eliminate what Musk perceives as biases and inaccuracies from the AI model. However, while xAI's employees are working on the re-training, a new report claims that the company has asked the staff to install tracking software on their personal to a report by Business Insider, xAI issued directives earlier this month, asking selected tutors responsible for training Grok to download a workforce management tool called Hubstaff by July11, if they did not already have a company-issued device. Notably, the software can monitor URLs, applications used during work hours, and even record screen activity. According to its website, Hubstaff also has the technical capability to track keystrokes and mouse the report highlights that xAI initially described the installation of Hubstaff software as mandatory for all tutors, regardless of whether they were using company-issued or personal devices. Employees were informed that the aim was to streamline work processes and assess performance, with xAI's HR team stating the tool would 'provide clearer insights into daily tutoring activities.' However, the policy reportedly drew immediate internal backlash. Several employees expressed concern over the invasive nature of the software, especially since many were being asked to install it on personal devices. One staff member, in a reported Slack message, described the move as 'surveillance disguised as productivity' and 'manipulation masked as culture,' before announcing their the backlash, the report notes that xAI made some changes to the policy. In an update shared on Slack, the company said employees who had requested company-issued laptops could delay installing the software until their devices arrived. However, it still remains unclear whether employees who have already installed Hubstaff, or those who purchased new laptops using the company's $50 monthly tech stipend, will receive the company's laptop. xAI has reportedly said that the Hubstaff would only monitor activity during designated work hours, and that staff could create separate profiles to protect their personal data. Still, the initial enforcement and lack of clarity reportedly left some employees feeling uneasy.- EndsTune In
Business Insider
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Elon Musk's xAI pressed employees to install surveillance software on personal laptops
Elon Musk's xAI told workers to download employee tracking software on their personal computers, prompting privacy concerns — and one worker's apparent resignation. The AI startup told the tutors who train its Grok chatbot earlier this month that they would be expected to download a workforce management system called Hubstaff, according to a document viewed by Business Insider. The tutors were initially asked to download the software onto their personal computers by July 11 if they did not have a company-issued device, according to the document and sources with knowledge of the issue that asked to speak anonymously as they were not authorized to speak on the company's behalf. They were told to enable access to screen captures, and were also told that using the software was mandatory. After Business Insider reached out to xAI with questions about Hubstaff, xAI announced tweaks to the policy on Slack: Now, workers who requested company computers could wait to download the software until they receive a company-issued laptop. It's unclear if employees who downloaded the software ahead of the July 11 deadline or purchased a new device would also be allowed to wait for an xAI computer to be shipped to them. The company has said it will only use the system to monitor URL and application visits during designated work hours, according to the document. According to its website, Hubstaff can also track mouse movement and keystrokes. "This new tool serves to streamline work processes, provide clearer insights into daily tutoring activities, and ensure resources align with Human Data priorities," the company's human resources team said in a mass email to employees. Hubstaff would be used to gauge employee performance and gather data on how tutors perform research, according to the document. Some workers spoke up with privacy concerns about the software, according to Slack messages viewed by Business Insider. One worker said they would resign due to the Hubstaff roll-out, according to a Slack message that received dozens of reactions appearing to support the post. In the message, the worker wrote that it was "surveillance disguised as productivity" and "manipulation masked as culture." Staff with concerns about data privacy on their personal computers had been told to either purchase a new computer using xAI's $50 per month tech stipend or create a separate log-in and profile on their device that would keep their work separate from any browsing in their personal time, according to the document. The software, which requires workers to clock in and out, would not track activity on the laptop outside of work hours, the document said. The company supplies some workers with company-issued Chromebooks, but many workers use their personal devices for the role, BI previously reported. In the lead up to the roll-out, tutors were initially told that the company had run out of Chromebooks, and it was unclear when they would be restocked, people familiar with the guidance told BI. Other AI companies have used Hubstaff. In an ongoing worker lawsuit filed against Scale AI that alleged the company misclassified workers, a former employee said the company used Hubstaff to monitor data annotators and that they were required to download it onto their personal computers. A spokesperson for Scale AI said that the company uses Hubstaff "to help contributors track the time they choose to spend on tasks, supporting accurate payment submissions." David Lowe, an employment attorney who has brought cases against Musk-owned companies Tesla and X, told Business Insider that while worker surveillance tactics can pose some legal risks for the company, the nature of the risk often comes down to the company's reasoning for additional security practices, the amount of notice, and opportunities for reimbursement toward a separate device. "It's a balancing test," Lowe said. XAI could make a case that it has "an interest in trade secrets and ensuring employees are not violating privacy obligations," Lowe said. "The next step is to determine if there is a less intrusive way to accomplish that objective." California, where xAI is headquartered, has some of the most stringent worker-protection laws, but many of the company's tutors are remote and would be governed by their region's labor laws, Camron Dowlatshahi, a Partner at MSD Lawyers in Los Angeles, told BI. He said it's best for the company to ensure the surveillance system is confined to work hours. In addition to Hubstaff, xAI also uses the HR manager Rippling to clock workers' hours and its in-house system Starfleet, which tracks the amount of time tutors spend on each task and can monitor employees' actions within the site, BI previously reported. It's been a chaotic week for xAI. It temporarily took its Grok chatbot off X after it posted a series of anti-semitic messages on Tuesday, and tutors took to Slack to respond, BI previously reported. On Wednesday, Musk unveiled the latest version of Grok and a $300-per-month subscription plan for a more sophisticated version of Grok, called SuperGrok Heavy. Musk also said the company will be adding Grok capabilities to Tesla vehicles.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hubstaff Welcomes Salesloft Co-founder Rob Forman to Board of Directors
FISHERS, Ind., June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hubstaff, a leading provider of time tracking, workforce analytics, and productivity management software, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rob Forman, Co-founder and former President of Salesloft, to its Board of Directors. Forman's strategic expertise in building and scaling high-growth SaaS businesses will help guide Hubstaff as it enters its next phase of growth and expands its impact for customers worldwide. With a proven track record of growing Salesloft from a startup into a category-defining revenue orchestration platform, Forman brings a wealth of experience in product innovation, go-to-market strategy, and customer success. At Salesloft, he helped drive the company's expansion to over 700 employees and establish a culture of excellence that contributed to its position as a leader in the sales tech space. "We are thrilled to welcome Rob to our board," said Jared Brown, CEO and Co-founder of Hubstaff. "Rob has walked the path we're on and brings invaluable insights from his journey scaling Salesloft into a world-class SaaS company. His experience, integrity, and people-first leadership philosophy align perfectly with our mission to help businesses work smarter and more efficiently." Hubstaff, trusted by more than 112,000 businesses across 100+ countries, is known for its suite of tools that enable remote and hybrid teams to track time, streamline payroll, and improve productivity. The company has seen strong momentum in recent years, with consistent double-digit ARR growth and increasing adoption across industries—from software development and marketing agencies to field service and outsourcing services firms. "I'm excited to join Hubstaff at such a pivotal moment in their journey," said Rob Forman. "Hubstaff is solving real problems for modern teams. They enable transparency, accountability, and operational efficiency in the here-to-stay work-from-anywhere world. I look forward to helping the team scale their impact and deepen the value we bring to customers." This appointment marks a strategic step in Hubstaff's continued commitment to sustainable growth, innovation, and building a world-class organization that supports its customers, employees, and partners. About HubstaffHubstaff provides time tracking, workforce analytics, and productivity tools for growing teams. Founded in 2012, Hubstaff supports businesses in optimizing operations, empowering teams, and driving outcomes. Learn more at View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Hubstaff Sign in to access your portfolio
