Oxford report highlights poor conditions for AI gig workers
OXFORD, UNITED KINGDOM — An Oxford Internet Institute report indicates that artificial intelligence (AI) firms consistently fail to uphold basic labor rights for gig workers, which is crucial in generating and labeling data for AI systems.
The report evaluated 15 digital labor platforms, including Amazon Mechanical Turk, Scale AI, and Appen, finding that all failed to maintain “basic standards of fair work.”
According to the report, while AI development enjoys public attention and progress, the workers involved in these processes often endure substantial challenges and unjust working conditions.
Researchers surveyed 752 workers across 94 countries, scoring each platform out of ten based on fair pay, working conditions, contracts, management, and representation.
The highest score was 5, while four platforms scored zero.
The report identified that workers spend approximately 26.8% of their time on unpaid tasks, such as job searching and unpaid tests, leading to an average hourly wage of just $2.15.
“We have very world-renowned platforms that are still among the worst scores,” said lead researcher Jonas Valente.
“We still have a very big problem with platforms that are not acknowledging the need to improve their workers’ conditions,” he added.
Yet, companies like Amazon, Upwork, and Fiverr contest the report’s findings, arguing their work model offers flexibility and choice.
Amazon maintains that its platform allows individuals to choose their work and pay rates. Similarly, Upwork and Fiverr emphasize that freelancers can negotiate their contracts, rates, and project selection.
