What the Rise of Artificial Intelligence in the Global South Tells Us About Our Future
๐ Abstract
The article discusses how AI innovation is emerging from the Global South, and how this is being exploited by tech companies in the Global North. It examines the exploitative nature of using the Global South as a "laboratory" for AI development, where workers are paid low wages to perform data annotation tasks. The article also explores the potential impact of AI on white-collar jobs in the Global North and the need for cross-sector organizing to ensure more equity in the AI industry.
๐ Q&A
[01] Emergence of AI Innovation in the Global South
1. What is the key insight the author gained from the epidemiology conference presentation? The author was struck by the presenter's statement that "a lot of AI innovation is going to come out of the Global South." This statement reminded the author of the book "Theory from the South" and the idea that the Global South is being used as a "laboratory" for new configurations of industry, labor, and regulatory environments that are then exported to the Global North.
2. How is the Global South being used as a "laboratory" for AI development? Tech companies are purposefully using the Global South to train their AI models due to a regulatory and labor landscape that is more favorable for exploitation. This includes paying low wages to data annotators who are essentially working in "digital sweatshops" under constant surveillance.
3. What are some examples of exploitative practices in AI development in the Global South? The article cites a TIME Magazine investigation that found OpenAI outsourced toxic data annotation tasks to a Kenyan company, paying workers less than $2 an hour. There are also allegations that OpenAI was collecting illegal images in the US to better train ChatGPT.
4. How is the technology presented at the conference exploitative, even if it could be beneficial? The technology was trained on "local handwriting samples" and tested locally, meaning the private company is extracting value from the local people and positioning them as "unprocessed data" to develop a product to sell in wealthier countries.
[02] Impact of AI on White-Collar Jobs in the Global North
1. How is AI expected to impact white-collar jobs in the Global North? The article suggests that AI is going to replace tasks performed by higher-earning, white-collar workers like data analysis, financial reporting, and software development. Repetitive administrative tasks are already being automated by AI.
2. What are the concerns around white-collar workers "upskilling" to prevent job loss due to AI? The article notes that for some positions, there likely isn't a way the worker can "upskill" enough to prevent their job from being replaced by AI.
3. How might the expansion of "ghost work" in the Global North occur as a result of AI development? The article predicts that there will be an expansion of ghost work (data annotation tasks) into the Global North as white-collar tech workers find side gigs or main gigs annotating data, especially if minimum wages continue to stagnate.
[03] The Need for Cross-Sector Organizing
1. What is the author's view on the claims that AI will transform the world and eliminate prejudice? The author is skeptical of the technophilic claims that AI will eliminate all forms of prejudice, lead to economic growth, and improve the quality of life and justice for all. The author notes that similar claims have been made about other technologies, yet they have failed to deliver.
2. What does the article suggest as a way forward to address the issues with AI development? The article encourages those working in fields involved with AI to include the data annotators and other lower-paid workers in their organizing efforts. It suggests that "solidarity between highly-paid tech workers and their lower-paid counterparts" is key to demanding more equity within the AI industry.