Optifye.ai, a Y Combinator company, faced backlash for using AI-powered security cameras in factories to monitor workers. The demo video showed a supervisor calling out a low-performing worker, sparking controversy on social media platforms like X and Hacker News. Some criticized it as “sweatshops-as-a-service” while others defended it. The rise of AI in the workplace has created concerns, with many Americans opposing worker tracking. Despite this, VCs continue to fund such companies. The video was eventually deleted by YC, but the conversation about surveillance and AI in the workplace continues.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/25/y-combinator-deletes-posts-after-a-startups-demo-goes-viral/