The artificial intelligence It is a technological sector that is booming and that constantly needs more and more staff to develop new projects and maintain those that are already working. That is how Google, Microsoft, Goal, OpenAI and many other companies may be constantly innovating, but the truth is that in addition to engineers based in Silicon Valley, These companies need other types of labor.
An example of this is that recently a group of 97 African workers working on AI training and moderation for tech giants like Meta and OpenAIraised their voice against what they describe as conditions of “modern slavery.”
The 'slavery' of OpenAI
According to the media Wiredthese workers are constantly pressured with intense and emotionally draining tasks, such as moderate disturbing content or have to train chatbot responses. That is why they decided to write a public letter to the president of the United States, Joe Biden, demanding a radical change in their working conditions.
The letter, supported by el African Union of Content Moderators and published by the activist group Foxglove, asks US technology corporations and the Biden administration to ensure fair working conditions and stop labor exploitation.
And playing a fundamental role in training emerging technologies seems not to be enough. According to the aforementioned media, these contractors receive wages that barely exceed two dollars an hour, a remuneration that does not compensate for the severe psychological impact of their work. Furthermore, they face exhausting days watching explicit and violent contentwhich even led many to develop post-traumatic stress disorder.
“The big American technology companies “They are systematically abusing and exploiting African workers.”charges the letter published before Kenyan President William Ruto's visit to the United States this week.
And he adds: “American technology giants export their hardest and most dangerous jobs abroad. (…) Our work involves observing murders and beheadings, child abuse and rape, pornography and bestiality, often for more than eight hours a day.”.
In this way, the Local workers demand that the laws of their countries be respectedthat freedom of association is promoted and fair compensation is ensured, especially in nations where subcontracting operations have been established, such as Kenya.
So far AI companies such as OpenAI and Meta have not officially addressed these accusations. Of course, the situation has already reached such a point that lawsuits have even been filed, accusing these companies of pillegal labor practices and human rights violations.