What if the chatbot you've been confiding in is actually a 50-year-old man halfway around the world? What happens after you report inappropriate content online, and who has to review it? If AI is supposed to automate work, why does it still depend on so many human workers?

In this episode, we interview Camilla Salim Wagner, political scientist and researcher at the Data Workers' Inquiry, supported by the Distributed AI Research Institute.

We also discuss the realities of data work, the ethical questions surrounding AI labor, and the growing movement advocating for greater recognition and protections for the people behind the technology. We explore the hidden workforce behind today's AI systems. We learn what data workers do, who they are, and what many of them are fighting for today.

It's easy to focus on the downstream impacts of AI (its effects on the economy, the environment, or humanity's long-term future). While those questions are important, this episode focuses on the people experiencing the impacts of AI right now.

How is the race to build more powerful AI systems affecting real people? What responsibilities do technology companies have toward the workers whose labor makes AI possible? As governments and companies race to develop increasingly powerful AI systems, questions about labor rights, transparency, accountability, and humane working conditions are becoming increasingly urgent.