Highlights

The AI illusion distances users from the reality of content moderation, much like factory farming distances us from the treatment of egg-laying chickens. This collective willful ignorance allows exploitation to continue unchecked. The AI narrative is a smokescreen that obscures a deeply unethical labor practice that trades human well-being for a fa... See more

Perhaps the cruelest irony is that we’re traumatizing people to create the illusion of machine intelligence. The trauma inflicted on human moderators is justified by the promise of future AI systems that will not require human intervention. Yet, their development requires more human labor and often the sacrifice of workers’ mental health.

This constant exposure to disturbing content takes a toll. “It goes beyond what makes people human,” Kings told me. “It’s like being forced to drink poison every day, knowing it’s killing you, but you can’t stop because it’s your job.” The images and videos linger after work, haunting their dreams and infiltrating their personal lives.

The exploitation of data workers is not a bug, it’s a systemic feature of the industry.

Many told us that despite facing exploitation, they felt unable to speak out publicly. Because their employment is tied to their visas, the risk of being fired and deported looms.

The glossy veneer of the tech industry conceals a raw, human reality that spans the globe. From the outskirts of Nairobi to the crowded apartments of Manila, from Syrian refugee communities in Lebanon to the immigrant communities in Germany and the call centers of Casablanca, a vast network of unseen workers power our digital world. The stories of ... See more

“We cleaned up the mess so everyone else can enjoy a sanitized online world.”

Behind almost every AI decision, a human is tasked with making the final call and bearing the burden of judgment — not some silicon-based savior.