Indian Workers Paid to Film Daily Labour, Training Western AI Systems

Hundreds of workers across India are currently engaged in filming their daily routines, from preparing food to working in factories, with the explicit purpose of generating data to train artificial intelligence systems. These individuals, often employed through intermediary agencies, are paid to capture extensive video footage, which is then utilised by Western technology companies to refine their AI algorithms.

This emergent sector positions India as a significant hub for 'ghost work' in the AI supply chain, where human labour underpins the sophisticated automated systems marketed as autonomous. The collected visual data, spanning various aspects of everyday life and industry, is instrumental in enabling AI to recognise objects, actions, and environments with greater accuracy. Critics argue that this arrangement continues a historical pattern of extracting value from developing nations, with minimal recognition or control for the data generators themselves, while the primary beneficiaries are typically large corporations in the Global North.