Kenya’s AI data annotation industry is booming, attracting many young people to join. However, few people know that behind this lies the grim reality of low wages, high pressure and mental health problems. Many young people join in with the dream of changing their destiny, but they face the cruel reality: meager salary, disturbing work content and lack of effective mental health support, which puts them in trouble and has even been described as "modern slaves" system". This article will delve into the plight of young people in Kenya’s AI data annotation industry and their efforts to fight for better rights.
In Kenya, more and more young people are attracted by the emerging industry of artificial intelligence and join the work of data annotation. This job sounds cool, but in fact it contains a lot of unknown bitterness. Many young people work hard in this industry and try to change their destiny through labor, but find themselves in an environment of low wages, high pressure and psychological distress.
Picture source note: The picture is generated by AI, and the picture authorization service provider Midjourney
In an office space in Nairobi, Naftali Wambalo, a mathematics graduate, is busy labeling thousands of images and videos. His job is to teach AI to recognize objects in images, such as telling the machine "this is a TV" or "that is a refrigerator." It sounds simple, but in reality it takes him a full eight hours a day, which is nerve-wracking and stressful.
"My salary is only US$2 per hour, and my life is very difficult." Naftali said helplessly. Like many of his colleagues, he works for big tech companies such as Meta and OpenAI through outsourcing companies. These outsourcing companies aim to maximize profits. Although they work hard for the company, the rewards they receive are negligible. Nirima Wako-Ojiwa, a Kenyan rights activist, even described the work as "modern-day slavery."
In addition to low income, the working environment is also worrying. Workers had to deal with some extremely disgusting and violent content, including scenes of child abuse and suicide. This kind of work brings huge challenges to their mental health, and many suffer psychological trauma as a result. "Every day I see disturbing images that make me feel frightened and depressed," Naftali said.
Although outsourcing companies claim to provide employees with mental health support, Naftali and his colleagues feel that this support is not enough. "We need truly professional psychiatrists, not casual support," Naftali said. In order to improve the situation, nearly 200 workers have jointly sued outsourcing companies and related technology giants, accusing their working conditions of being unreasonable and causing mental distress.
Another big challenge these young people face is job insecurity. Many contracts are short-term, and some are even calculated on a daily basis, which makes it difficult for them to feel secure in their lives. Nilima mentioned, “Our labor laws are very old and there is no protection for digital workers at all.” Because of this, many young people have to accept jobs even under such harsh conditions, forced to make ends meet.
As more and more people pay attention to this issue, digital workers in Kenya hope to change their destiny through legal means. They are using their voices to call society's attention to this issue. Despite their difficult circumstances, these young people are still striving for a better life and fairer treatment.
Highlight:
Many young Kenyans work in the AI industry, with wages as low as $2 an hour, and life is difficult.
The work involves extremely disgusting and violent content, leading to frequent mental health issues.
Hundreds of workers jointly sued outsourcing companies, seeking to improve working conditions and protect their rights and interests.
The plight of young Kenyan AI data annotation workers highlights the ethical and social issues existing in global technological development. We need to pay attention to the rights and interests of digital workers, promote a fairer and more reasonable labor environment, and ensure that technological progress benefits all participants rather than exacerbating social injustice. Only in this way can the beautiful vision of science and technology benefiting mankind be truly realized.