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Teachers at Euan Blair‑backed Multiverse report 'horrendous stress' after AI monitoring

educationSep 28, 202629223

Teachers at Euan Blair’s tech training company Multiverse say an AI system that transcripts and scores online classroom sessions has caused “horrendous stress,” sleep disruption and some staff seeking therapy. The system, which uses models from Anthropic and OpenAI, flags behaviours such as not fixing a connection within about a minute and using “filler” phrases, then assigns a “risk status,” a percentage confidence score and written comments for managers. Instructors who previously received monthly human observations say they are now monitored for several hours a day by the AI and describe the tool as “remorseless” and “unnerving.” Multiverse, co-founded by Euan Blair, is valued at about £1.6bn, employs more than 800 people and delivers apprenticeship training in AI and digital skills to the NHS, local councils, universities and private-sector clients, mostly funded through the government’s apprenticeship levy. Critics cited in the article warn AI monitoring can erode human agency; the United Tech and Allied Workers branch of the Communication Workers Union says AI causes “cognitive surrender,” and new research to be published this week reports falling work satisfaction in UK tech where AI is used. The story adds to wider employer-AI surveillance controversies this year, with examples such as Burger King’s customer-interaction tracking and Meta pausing employee keystroke monitoring amid privacy concerns.

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