[Bluestrike2]

Not really. The article isn't very clear on the point, but the workers always know why they're performing task X--let's say, replacing damaged track X--because the reason is the same as before. That's never changed. What they're apparently confused about is the prioritization of task X over task Y because "the machine" is now involved. It's not a case of being told to bang a wrench against a pipe in a random tunnel and then wondering why.

In a lot of ways, it's not that dissimilar than it was before. Why did their supervisors prioritize one task over the other in the past? It's the same thing, only now, it's a more objective algorithm that's handling the tasking. Assuaging these fears (if that's the right word) is almost a non-issue in this context as even the most basic of explanations can solve the problem. I fail to understand how this could be interpreted as scary. Might you elaborate a bit?