SocietyAI glossary
Data annotation
The work of labelling raw data (describing images, rating responses, flagging toxic content) to teach models what is what. It is massively outsourced to low-paid workers, often in Kenya or the Philippines: the invisible workforce of AI.
In other words
The little hands that caption millions of photos so the machine-student has something to revise from.
Alyriaz articles that mention it
- Should we be worried about good things?
A critique published this week accuses the dominant narrative of diverting attention from concrete harms towards spectacular risks. We examine the argument, what is right about it, and how to distribute one's concern.
- Sony and Warner sue Anthropic over song lyrics, targeting founders personally
Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell have filed a lawsuit against Anthropic and its founders over the use of song lyrics in training. We analyse the strategy and what the books precedent changes.
- Amazon shuts down Mechanical Turk: the end of an era for invisible work
Amazon shuts down Mechanical Turk, the microtask marketplace launched in 2005. We analyse what this closure reveals about the evolution of human labour behind AI.
- Data labelling is now worth $20 billion
A data-labelling company for AI is reportedly valued at around $20 billion, double what it was nine months ago. We analyse what this valuation reveals about the role of human labour in the chain.
- The invisible workers of AI: Kenya wants to impose a minimum wage
In late July 2026, Kenya presented a draft policy imposing pay benchmarks and psychological support for data annotation workers. We explain who these workers are, what the wage gaps reveal, and why the issue is more nuanced than it appears.
- The ghost workers of AI: who really pays the price of ChatGPT
Every time ChatGPT answers you without showing you shocking images, it is because someone, somewhere in Nairobi or Manila, has spent their day looking at those images to train the filter. Paid less than 2 dollars an hour. This is the invisible-labour industry that makes AI possible.