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A review by ialja
Ghost Work: How to Stop Silicon Valley from Building a New Global Underclass by Siddharth Suri, Mary L. Gray
5.0
A well-researched analysis of people doing ghost work for big tech companies. As consumers (or even developers), we are often unaware or underappreciate the ghost work that powers our apps. Ghost work ranges from the human labor that goes into labeling training data for AI models, social media content moderation, search engine evaluation, identity verification, software testing, and countless other micro and macro tasks that are invisibly outsourced by today's fast-moving businesses. The book offers insight into the lives and motives of ghost workers, highlighting both the negative and positive effects of this type of work on diverse communities – the authors interviewed almost two hundred on-demand workers across the US and India.
In addition to building empathy for ghost workers, the authors' research provides a much-needed context for discussions on the future of work, especially as we move towards an on-demand economy. While some parts of the book are US-centric – for instance, the review of the history and legislative status of temp work – the research findings offer valuable insights that we should consider when designing or eventually regulating on-demand platforms.
Building upon their research, the authors recommend several practical technical and social fixes that would improve the working conditions and status of ghost work. Finally, they conclude the book with a call for a broader effort to recognize the value generated by invisible work that powers the apps we all use under the illusion of full automation.
In addition to building empathy for ghost workers, the authors' research provides a much-needed context for discussions on the future of work, especially as we move towards an on-demand economy. While some parts of the book are US-centric – for instance, the review of the history and legislative status of temp work – the research findings offer valuable insights that we should consider when designing or eventually regulating on-demand platforms.
Building upon their research, the authors recommend several practical technical and social fixes that would improve the working conditions and status of ghost work. Finally, they conclude the book with a call for a broader effort to recognize the value generated by invisible work that powers the apps we all use under the illusion of full automation.