The article emphasizes the need for regulation to ensure these platforms meet labor standards, particularly as their use is expected to grow due to increasing demand from AI companies and the trend towards remote work. It mentions that the International Labour Organization is discussing the development of standards for workers' rights in the digital economy, but stresses that national governments must also get involved. The article concludes by urging policymakers to consider the unique challenges faced by online remote workers and to prioritize finding solutions for this workforce.
Key takeaways:
- AI companies and other organizations are increasingly using cloudwork platforms like Freelancer.com, Amazon Mechanical Turk, and Fiverr to outsource labor, often for tasks like data labeling and content moderation.
- A study by the University of Oxford found that more than 163 million people have registered on these platforms, but the working conditions can be dire, with no guarantee of minimum wage and a lack of clear appeal processes.
- The Fairwork project evaluated 15 of these platforms and found that none met more than half of the basic standards of decent work, with workers often earning less than $3 USD per hour.
- While some platforms have made improvements, the article argues that larger industry challenges can only be solved through regulations that ensure these companies meet the same labor standards as other businesses, and calls for policymakers to consider the unique challenges faced by online remote workers.