Court documents described in recent reporting suggest Amazon uses an internal artificial intelligence system to assess the risk of union activity at warehouse sites. The documents say the tool uses workplace and public information to identify locations where organizing could occur, while Amazon says the system is not currently used in the United Kingdom.
Atlas scores warehouse risk
The system, known as Atlas, is described as an in-house AI forecasting tool that gives warehouses scores from 100 to 900. openDemocracy reported that the documents describe data including Reddit posts, employee feedback surveys, workplace information and previous industrial action.
The documents refer to warehouses in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. They describe five risk tiers, with Tier 1 indicating that future activity is considered imminent. Two UK sites, near Sutton Coldfield and Coventry, appear in that tier.
Amazon disputes UK use
Amazon disputes the description of Atlas as individual employee surveillance. The company said the activity is limited to the site or building level and that it does not track individual employees’ opinions, affiliations or union membership.
Amazon also told openDemocracy that Atlas is not currently used in the United Kingdom. The documents were disclosed during a legal dispute involving Amazon and the Canadian union Unifor, so they do not by themselves establish how the system is currently used in Britain.
Workers face broader monitoring
The case highlights concerns about AI in the workplace. A system that predicts union activity could affect how managers view a site, even if it does not score individual workers. Labor advocates say monitoring employee discussions may discourage workers from organizing or raising concerns about pay and safety.
The UK government told openDemocracy that workplace monitoring should be transparent, fair, accountable and reliable. It also said employers should respect workers’ rights to take part in lawful trade union activity. Further court filings or regulatory review may clarify what data Atlas uses and how its scores affect management decisions.
References
Breese, E. (2026, October 16). Amazon uses AI surveillance to monitor union risk in UK warehouses. openDemocracy. https://www.opendemocracy.net/amazon-ai-surveillance-monitor-union-activity-uk-warehouses-birmingham-coventry-atlas-sutton-coldfield/
Thakker, Y. (2026, October 17). Amazon’s Atlas AI scores warehouses on union risk, documents suggest. explainx.ai. https://explainx.ai/blog/amazon-atlas-ai-union-risk-score-uk-warehouses-coventry-sutton-coldfield-2026
UXC News. (2026, October 18). Amazon rolls out AI system to scan UK warehouse staff communications for signs of union activity. UXC News. https://uxc.news/p/amazon-rolls-out-ai-system-to-scan-uk-warehouse-staff-communications-for-signs-of-union-activity