E92: Inside the Invisible Cage: How Algorithms Control Workers w/ Hatim Rahman

Award-winning professor Hatim A. Rahman joins the podcast to discuss Inside the Invisible Cage, exploring how algorithms and AI shape modern work, from gig platforms to corporate offices.

Guest Bio: Dr. Hatim A. Rahman is an assistant professor of management and organizations at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. His research examines the intersection of technology, work, and organizational control. His latest book, Inside the Invisible Cage: How Algorithms Control Workers, investigates how opaque digital systems influence careers, autonomy, and fairness in the modern economy.

Discussed Topics:

• The "invisible cage" vs. the "iron cage" in modern workplaces
• Algorithmic control on gig and freelance platforms
• Rating inflation, Goodhart’s Law, and trust in digital metrics
• Parallels to historical labor changes and the rise of bureaucracy
• Remote work, surveillance, and the future of hybrid offices
• Consumer responsibility, regulation, and the ethical use of AI
• Career advice for students entering an algorithm-driven job market

Top Quote:

“People are not products, people are not bathrooms, people are not movies… yet we keep applying the same rating systems to them—and then pretend we’re measuring something real.”

📺Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/vxXRA2l7DX0

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