Brown University Student Maps Hidden Global Labor Powering Artificial Intelligence
A Brown University senior has revealed the economic scale of the work by mapping the global data ethics and data labeling workforce network behind artificial intelligence systems.
Ma, a senior at Brown University, conducted a mapping study revealing the hidden global labor network underlying artificial intelligence technologies. The study highlights connections among data labeling companies, corporate clients, and centers where data workers are located, particularly in the Global South.
Companies across various sectors such as social media, technology, retail, and defense outsource their data labeling processes to specialized firms in this field. These firms, in turn, turn to cheap labor in Global South countries like Kenya, Indonesia, and Colombia to reduce costs. Ma, the student leading the project, noted that workers worldwide are forced to read violent or objectionable content to make artificial intelligence safe, describing this situation as 'AI colonialism.'
Sources
- brown.edu · Link