Invisible workers—who is behind the artificial intelligence? Cover Image

Niewidzialni pracownicy, czyli kto stoi za sztuczną inteligencją
Invisible workers—who is behind the artificial intelligence?

Author(s): Nastazja Potocka-Sionek
Subject(s): Labor relations, ICT Information and Communications Technologies
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
Keywords: microwork; crowdwork; platform work; algorithmic management; data annotation; artificial intelligence;

Summary/Abstract: The article is dedicated to microworkers—highly precarious, often “invisible”workers whose labour is pivotal for the development of artificial intelligence (AI). It examines how crowdwork platforms such as Amazon Mechanical Turk, Appen and Clickworker organise the work of globally dispersed workers annotating data. It argues that, more often than not, this kind of work is performed in a highly structured, yet intransparent way, and is subject to substantial algorithmic control. This gives rise to the question of the employment classification of formally independent microworkers. The paper discusses this issue in light of the proposed Directive on the improved working conditions of platform workers.

  • Issue Year: 29/2022
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 105-119
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: Polish
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