Data & Society What is Work Worth? Exploring What Generative AI Means for Workers’ Lives and Labor | Keynote Event
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May 20, 2025 Dr. Julián Posada, an Assistant Professor at Yale and Just Tech fellow, dives deep into the intersection of labor and generative AI. He unpacks the ethical challenges that digital workers face, drawing parallels with historical labor rights struggles. Personal narratives highlight the experiences of Venezuelan laborers on digital platforms and the impact of extractivism. Furthermore, Posada discusses the importance of collective resistance in the gig economy while exploring how AI can either empower or exploit workers, emphasizing the need for better labor standards.
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Challenges to Worker Resistance
- Worker organization exists despite precarity but faces extreme power imbalances and ease of replacement.
- Resistance includes gaming systems to survive but meaningful long-term change is challenging.
AI Labor's Global Race to Bottom
- AI data production demands massive, cheap labor, leading to a race to the bottom globally.
- Industry deflects responsibility between data producers and buyers, complicating accountability and labor condition improvements.
Amazon's Gift Card Wages Anecdote
- Amazon Mechanical Turk paid some workers outside the U.S. in Amazon gift cards resembling company store currency.
- This mirrors exploitative labor payment systems historically used in other industries, showing capitalism's continuity.