In Kenya, AI labellers, known as “humans in the loop,” are reporting troubling working conditions despite the global surge in AI investment. These workers, employed by outsourcing companies to train AI algorithms for tech giants like Meta, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google, are tasked with sorting and labelling data to teach machines to think like humans. Despite the rapid growth of the AI industry, these workers face low wages, psychological distress, and limited labor protections.
One labeller, Naftali Wambalo, shared his experience of spending long hours in front of a screen, labelling images and videos to help AI systems recognize objects and faces. For example, they might label furniture or identify a person’s ethnicity based on facial features. While AI models like GPT-4 excel at generating content, human annotators are essential in teaching these systems how to respond correctly, a process known as supervised learning.
Despite the vital role they play in training AI, workers like Wambalo are paid between $1.50 and $2 per hour, a stark contrast to the higher rates tech companies pay outsourcing firms. For instance, OpenAI pays SAMA, a company that employs these labellers, $12.50 an hour per worker. However, SAMA argues that the $2 wage is a fair rate for the region.
Civil rights activist Nerima Wako-Ojiwa compares the job conditions to modern-day slavery, pointing out that while Kenya is marketed as a tech hub, the workers who make these AI advancements are left behind. The booming global AI market, projected to reach $632 billion by 2028, has not translated into better pay or working conditions for Kenyan AI labellers.
The work takes a psychological toll on many, as they are exposed to graphic and disturbing content while labelling data. Labellers like Fasica report suffering from flashbacks and emotional distress after viewing disturbing imagery, such as violence and abuse, for hours on end.
In Kenya, labor laws do not yet address the realities of digital labor, leaving these workers unprotected. Wako-Ojiwa believes that the country’s labor laws, which are over two decades old, must evolve to include digital labor protections to safeguard workers’ rights in the growing tech sector. However, there’s concern that pushing for better conditions could lead companies to move to neighboring countries with more lenient regulations.
