Dark AI Realities: Exploitation & Inequality Revealed

Published Date: 06/07/2024

Meet the African workers driving the AI revolution for just over a dollar an hour, and uncover the repetitive labor and terrible conditions behind big tech's AI creations.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been hailed as a revolutionary technology, capable of transforming industries and improving lives. However, beneath the surface of this technological advancement lies a darker truth. The creation of AI systems relies heavily on human labor, often in terrible conditions and for extremely low wages.

James Muldoon, Mark Graham, and Callum Cant, authors of a new book on the subject, describe AI as an 'extraction machine' that feeds off the work of human beings. They expose the repetitive labor, often in terrible conditions, that big tech companies are using to create artificial intelligence.

In outsourced centers in the global south, workers like Mercy and Anita process social media content and AI training data for just over a dollar an hour. They work long hours, are exposed to disturbing material, and have little protection or rights.

Meanwhile, companies like Microsoft are developing AI-powered features that raise serious privacy concerns. Their new Windows machines can take constant screenshots of users' every action, creating a privacy minefield.

The development of AI systems is not just a technological issue, but a social and economic one. It is crucial that we acknowledge the human cost behind AI innovation and work towards creating a more equitable and just system.

The Fairwork Foundation is a non-profit organization that promotes fair labor practices in the digital economy.Apate is a new scambaiting AI technology that aims to keep scammers on the line while collecting data that could help disrupt their business model .Microsoft is a multinational technology company that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products, services, and devices.

FAQS:

Q: What is the main issue with the development of AI systems?

A: The main issue is the exploitation of human labor, often in terrible conditions and for extremely low wages.

Q: How much do workers in outsourced centers in the global south earn?

A: They earn just over a dollar an hour.

Q: What is the purpose of the Fairwork Foundation?

A: The Fairwork Foundation promotes fair labor practices in the digital economy.

Q: What is Apate?

A: Apate is a new scambaiting AI technology that aims to keep scammers on the line while collecting data that could help disrupt their business model.

Q: What is the privacy concern with Microsoft's new Windows machines?

A: They can take constant screenshots of users' every action, creating a privacy minefield.

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