Employees across several technology firms in London and Berlin have raised concerns over the rapid adoption of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) systems, warning that the shift is taking place without adequate consultation or safeguards.

On Tuesday, September 30, more than 70 employees at a Berlin-based fintech startup staged a workplace sit-in after management announced the immediate rollout of an AI-powered “autonomous agent” platform designed to replace certain customer service and back-office roles. Staff say they were previously assured that implementation would be gradual, with full consultation scheduled to continue until December.

“We were not in any position to negotiate — the decision was already made behind closed doors.”
— Lena Hoffmann, senior operations associate

Before the sit-in, workers at the startup, many of whom are members of a newly formed European Tech Workers Union, had voted to collectively petition management. They argue that the technology, while powerful, is being introduced without transparency on its impact on jobs or accountability for potential failures.

Intimidation and Pressure Alleged

According to union representative Mark Spencer, management brought in senior executives to present the rollout as “non-negotiable.” Employees describe the meeting as coercive, with staff pressured to accept short-term severance packages if they felt “uncomfortable working alongside autonomous agents.”

“You can’t just throw people out with a severance cheque while machines take over their work. That’s not innovation, that’s intimidation,”
— Spencer told reporters.

Workers also questioned the reliability of agentic AI in sensitive areas such as financial compliance and healthcare data. “These systems make independent decisions,” Hoffmann explained, “but no one can tell us who is ultimately responsible if something goes wrong.”

Industry Response and Pushback

AI industry leaders insist the fears are overblown. In a press statement, InnovateAI CEO Priya Malhotra said that agentic systems “will augment human work, not replace it,” accusing critics of “fearmongering” and “slowing down technological progress.”

Still, several professional associations and research groups have voiced caution. A report from the European Digital Ethics Council last month warned that uncontrolled deployment of agentic AI could “disrupt labour markets and erode trust” if introduced without democratic oversight.

A Growing Movement

The union says the employee action began spontaneously. “When the announcement dropped, people just refused to log off,” said Hoffmann. “We decided to stay online together in a virtual sit-in — and we’ve been there ever since.”

With pressure building, ultimatums have been exchanged. Management has told employees they must return to “business as usual” by Friday or risk losing enhanced severance. The union, meanwhile, has threatened to escalate with a European-wide boycott campaign against companies deploying agentic AI without staff consultation.

Political and Public Support

Several politicians have weighed in. German Green Party MEP Katrin Lange called the employees’ protest “a wake-up call,” urging Brussels to accelerate regulation on autonomous decision-making systems.

“The idea that machines can take decisions impacting livelihoods, finances, or healthcare without a clear line of accountability is unacceptable,”
— Lange said in a press release.

Support has also come from digital rights groups, who are distributing information leaflets across Berlin and London encouraging public demonstrations. Activists argue that the fight over agentic AI is not just about jobs but about democratic control over technology.