When loyalty goes with electric shocks and tattoos

The scene could be taken from a dystopia: Axon Enterprise employees waiting enthusiastically or apprehensively to take to the stage to be shocked with an electroshock gun, while their colleagues chant "Tase, Tase, Tase". For the more "loyal" and "committed", because in the eyes of many, this is indeed a test of loyalty, it's also possible to "make things permanent" with company-themed tattoos.

Despite its fictional or cult-like appearance, this story is very real. It's taken from a long Reuters article on the surprising corporate culture of Axon, the American manufacturer of Taser electroshock guns. For this report, published on August 30, 2023, Reuters interviewed 63 employees and ex-employees, including 9 former executives, and examined around 100 Axon documents, among them PowerPoint presentations, internal announcements, meeting notes and text messages, as well as 24 exhibition videos made either by the company or informally by members of its staff between 2016 and 2023, some of which show numerous people being tasered.

         The electroshock ritual

Reuters reveals that as part of events organized by the company, employees are invited to experiment in public with its star product. Axon assures that firing on personnel is not dangerous, that it is carried out in a safe and controlled environment, and that employees are under no pressure. Nevertheless, before taking part in such an exercise, they must sign a waiver, under which they waive their right to sue Axon for any injury. Reuters points out that according to a 2019 copy, the disclaimer warns them of the potential for death at least 12 times and warns that repeated electrical stimuli can cause epileptic seizures in some people.

According to labour experts consulted by Reuters, the use of Tasers appears to be an absurd and unnecessary danger. Jennifer Chatman, a professor at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, calls it, at best, unhealthy, at worst, dangerous. While around a third of those interviewed by Reuters said they had not been pressured, others felt that this culture of loyalty was simply toxic. According to three experts, including Ann Rosenthal, Senior Advisor to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) until 2022, the pressure described by employees is similar to that experienced by insiders in gangs or certain fraternities. Ms. Rosenthal also believes that the use of Tasers may contravene a provision of the Federal Occupational Health and Safety Act.

         A commitment that's etched into the skin

While Tasers are often, but not exclusively, used on trainees and new recruits, tattoos seem to be used mainly on executives. The example comes from high up, since the company's CEO and co-founder, Rick Smith, has already sported an Axon logo and lightning bolts tattooed on his bicep, followed by a financial dashboard on his arm.

Although Axon strongly disputes that pressure was exerted, former employees have told Reuters that they were repeatedly asked by managers to get tattoos, and that women were particularly targeted after Axon officials expressed concern that only male employees were sporting the company's tattoos. To make it all easier, tattoo artists have been invited to take part in in-house conferences.

         A boys' club with little respect for women?

Reuters' investigation also highlights disturbing testimonials from former employees who describe Axon as an unwelcoming boys' club, even offensive to women. For example, a dozen people reported that managers sometimes used obscene or sexually-charged language towards women, a claim the company vehemently denies. The company retorts that it does not tolerate discrimination or harassment in the workplace, and that it supports and celebrates the gender diversity of its workforce. However, Axon discloses little quantitative or qualitative information on diversity, equity and inclusion. This makes it difficult to weigh up the value and depth of its commitments, assess the effectiveness of its efforts, and measure its progress.

         Questionable corporate ethics

The disturbing Reuters article certainly raises important questions about Axon's culture of loyalty and management of human capital. It also risks reviving responsible investors' concerns about its corporate governance and ethics, which were sparked by its decision to go ahead with the development of a non-lethal, remote-controlled Taser-equipped drone, despite the rejection of this project by its Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ethics Committee. In protest, 9 of the committee's 13 members resigned, and the committee was replaced by a new advisory board, to which the CEO made no further commitment.

At the company's annual general meeting in May 2023, shareholders asked Axon to stop this project, which envisages Taser-equipped drones being employed in schools and other public spaces to stop mass shootings, using AI surveillance, algorithmic predictors and virtual reality simulations among other tools. They recalled that a large majority of members of the AI Ethics committee expressed " concerns around Taser misuse and the possibility that the deployment of weaponized drones and robots could increase the rate at which force is used, especially in over-policed communities and communities of color ". Indeed, one of the recurring concerns about AI is that it can perpetuate racial disparities and even aggravate discrimination. What's more, AI-powered aggression detectors installed in schools regularly report innocent behavior, such as coughing, while failing to detect screaming. Finally, the Taser, while claiming far fewer victims than firearms, remains a weapon that, in certain circumstances, can be deadly. Reuters has reported that at least 1,000 people have died in the U.S. after police used Tasers, often in combination with other types of force. There are thus significant risks attached to this project, notably with regard to children's safety and privacy, which are high enough that Axon's AI Ethics Committee has recommended that it be abandoned. It is very disconcerting that the committees' opinion was not retained.

Sources: Beatrice Nolan, "Ex-employees at Taser-making company felt pressured to get tattooed or shocked in front of crowds, report says", Insider, September 6, 2023, ref. September 8, 2023, Ex-Workers at Taser Company Say They Felt Pressured to Get Publicly Shocked: Reuters (businessinsider.com) ; Jeffrey Dastin, "At Taser maker Axon, ex-staffers say loyalty meant being tased or tattooed", Reuters, August 30, 2023, ref. September 8, 2023, At Taser maker Axon, ex-staff say loyalty meant being tased, tattooed (reuters.com) ; Axon Enterprise, Management proxy circular, May 12, 2023