The contract termination will impact at least 2,000 workers, with potential for more as contracts with Google account for about one-third of Appen’s business revenues. Google has been criticized for terminating the contract without any severance benefits or transparency about the decision-making process. The Alphabet union, representing workers at Google's parent company, has called this a wake-up call for the tech industry about the impacts of AI on working people.
Key takeaways:
- Google is ending its contract with Appen, a data training firm that employs thousands of poorly paid gig workers in developing countries, which will result in thousands of layoffs.
- The termination of the contract comes a week after a study found that the quality of Google's search engine results has significantly worsened in recent years.
- Workers for Appen often make as little as two cents per training task, with some describing the work as 'digital slavery.'
- The Alphabet union, representing workers at Google's parent company, criticizes the lack of severance benefits and transparency in the decision to terminate the Appen contract.