Sarah O'Connor's "We Are Not Machines" examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping workplace dynamics and forcing humans to adapt to algorithmic systems rather than the reverse, according to a review by Tom Knowles in New Scientist.
O'Connor, a journalist and author, investigates the friction between human work practices and AI implementation across industries. Her book documents how workers contort themselves to fit into systems designed by machines, fundamentally altering job structures, decision-making processes, and employee autonomy.
The review highlights O'Connor's exploration of practical solutions. Rather than accepting AI's dominance in work environments, she proposes approaches that center human needs and capabilities. Her argument positions the current trajectory as a choice, not an inevitability, with alternatives available if institutions prioritize workers over efficiency metrics.
Knowles praises the book for moving beyond typical AI hype and dread narratives. O'Connor grounds her analysis in real workplace scenarios, examining how algorithmic management systems control scheduling, performance metrics, and hiring decisions. She documents workers gaming these systems, resisting them, and advocating for reformed implementation.
The review suggests O'Connor offers both diagnosis and prescription. She identifies where AI deployment has failed workers and explores policy changes, workplace practices, and individual strategies that restore human agency. Her work challenges the assumption that technological progress requires human subordination to machine logic.
This book contributes to growing discourse on AI governance in labor contexts. As companies increasingly deploy AI for hiring, scheduling, and performance evaluation, O'Connor's framework for resistance and reform addresses urgent questions about worker dignity, safety, and autonomy in algorithmic environments.