Artificial Intelligence (AI) is flourishing rapidly, and with it, the digital labor platforms employing gig workers. These platforms hire individuals for essential tasks, such as generating or labeling vast amounts of data to make AI systems more reliable and unbiased. However, recent research suggests that these platforms are falling short on meeting basic labor rights standards.
AI Companies and Worker Rights: A Research Perspective
A recent report from the University of Oxford’s Internet Institute reveals that digital labor platforms are failing to meet fundamental labor rights standards. The report assessed 15 digital work platforms including Amazon Mechanical Turk, Scale AI, and Appen. The researchers found all the platforms to be far from protecting basic standards of fair work.
Despite the public hype and momentum of AI deployments, the individuals behind the design, testing, and building of these AI solutions still face enormous challenges. They often experience unfair working conditions, as the report suggests.
Unseen Challenges of AI Gig Workers
A significant concern highlighted in the research is the time spent by workers on “unpaid labor.” These tasks include searching for work, taking unpaid tests, and applying for jobs. As a result, the average hourly wage of these workers is low, making $2.15 per hour.
The study considered 752 workers from 94 different countries, further emphasizing the widespread issue of low pay across platforms. While cost of living varies across these countries, this doesn’t diminish the urgent issue of low compensation for these gig workers.
Big Names, Low Scores
Renowned platforms like Amazon Mechanical Turk, Workana, Microworkers, and Freelancer received 0 points in the study. The research graded each platform based on five principles: fair pay, fair conditions, fair contracts, fair management, and fair representation, with two points maximum for each principle.
These platforms’ low scores indicate a pressing need for them to improve workers’ conditions and acknowledge the workers’ rights to fair work standards.
The Future of Gig Workers in AI
The findings of the report emphasize that while AI development continues to surge, workers’ rights should not be left in the dust. Online outsourcing is expanding throughout the economy, and the rights of the people performing these tasks need to be guaranteed.
Several platforms have pledged to make changes after acknowledging the deficiencies highlighted by the report. For instance, Appen recently overhauled its leadership team in response to the criticisms.
Despite these challenges, some platforms still achieved high scores in the study, demonstrating a commitment to maintaining basic labor standards. The platforms and their management need to implement changes based on feedback to achieve ideal working conditions for the gig workers in the rapidly growing AI industry.
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