Data Labelers Association.

Screenshot of the blogpost: How We Made Data Workers' Inquiry, by Milagros Miceli, DWI’s Principal Investigator and Project Lead. This piece traces how Data Workers' Inquiry came to life: not as a project with clear answers, but as a messy, stubborn attempt to put research in the hands of the people living the realities researchers usually write about

One year ago, on #LaborDay, we launched Data Workers' Inquiry. The process was messy and uncertain, but driven by the need to do research differently.

I wrote a reflection on what this first year taught us:
data-workers.org/about/how-to...

Thanks for reading and for supporting this work.

💡Want to know what powers the world’s smartest AI systems?
Start here — meet the workers.
📲 Explore the DLA page: datalabelers.org

@joan1k.bsky.social
#DataLabeling #InvisibleLabor #AIJustice

3/4
Deep thanks to @DataWorkersInquiry for amplifying our voices and standing in solidarity with us.
Building power takes courage — and community.
🖤🧠💪🏽
#SolidarityForever #TechWorkersUnite

2/4
We’re the first worker-led association representing Kenya’s data labeling workforce.
Rooted in solidarity and dignity, DLA is built by and for data workers — the people behind AI.
We fight for:
✔ Fair pay
✔ Safe working conditions
✔ Recognition and inclusion in AI’s future
#AIEthics #WorkerPower

Organizing Across Borders, by Joan Kinyua The Data Labelers Association is developing mutual support structures and fighting for better working conditions. This inquiry recounts our path to founding it and acknowledges our ongoing partnership...

Big news!
The Data Labelers Association (DLA) now has a page on the Data Workers' Inquiry platform!
🔗 data-workers.org/DLA

@dataworkersinquiry.bsky.social @adiod.bsky.social @milamiceli.bsky.social @krystalkauffman.bsky.social
#DataLabelers #DigitalLabor

Joan joins virtually by video, along with Rim and Andreas in person at stage 3 of re-publica conference

#rp25 hosts 60+ sessions on AI. Few discuss the worker involved.

“Am I Not Human? Data workers behind our AI systems and social media platforms speak out”

🇰🇪Joan from @datalabelers.bsky.social

🇩🇪 Andreas TikTok Works Council Chair

🪑Chaired by Rim of @superrrnetwork.bsky.social #contentmoderation

Nicht von Geisterhand – Evangelische Akademie zu Berlin KI und die Ausbeutung von Datenarbeit im digitalen Kapitalismus

➡️➡️ Am 22. Juli findet ab 18:00 Uhr das Online-Seminar "Nicht von Geisterhand" der @eaberlin.de statt. Es geht um KI und die Ausbeutung von Datenarbeiter:innen. u.a. mit @adiod.bsky.social & MdB @sonjalemke.dielinkebt.de & Mitgliedern der kürzlich gegründeten @datalabelers.bsky.social Association:

Organizing Across Borders, by Joan Kinyua The Data Labelers Association is developing mutual support structures and fighting for better working conditions. This inquiry recounts our path to founding it and acknowledges our ongoing partnership...

🚨NEW INQUIRY!

@joan1k.bsky.social from @datalabelers.bsky.social discusses beginnings, gratitude, and partnerships in this piece.

@dataworkersinquiry.bsky.social is an active partner of the DLA, and we remain united in the fight for the rights of data workers worldwide!

data-workers.org/DLA/

Excited to be introducing this latest Inquiry...head to the data workers inquiry website and check out this new inquiry by @joan1k.bsky.social of the @datalabelers.bsky.social

Flyer for the Data Labelers Association (DLA)

Exciting news! We’ve just launched “Organizing Across Borders” by Joan Kinyua - a data labeler, organizer, and president of the Data Labelers Association (DLA). In this inquiry, Joan reflects on the DLA’s formation and the cross-border solidarity that helped make it possible. data-workers.org/DLA/

Wilington Shitawa, drawing from his personal experiences and interviews with fellow workers Andrea, Derrick, and Edwin, created the comic „Click Captives: The Unseen Struggle of Data Workers“.

Wilington Shitawa

Wilington Shitawa is a former data worker and quality analyst who has worked at Cloud Factory and Sama in Nairobi, Kenya. Drawing from his personal experiences and interviews with fellow workers Andrea, Derrick, and Edwin, he created the comic „Click Captives: The Unseen Struggle of Data Workers“.

Happy Mother's Day!
To all the moms holding it down, pushing through unseen struggles, and showing up no matter what — thank you. You are the backbone of families, communities, and our world.

Here’s to recognizing your sacrifices not just today, but every day. 💐

#MothersDay #ThankYouMoms

𝗙𝘂𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁:
The first "data labeling" for AI can be traced back to the 1960s when researchers manually labeled images of faces to train early facial recognition systems, long before computers could even process images in color! #AI #Datalabeling #DataAnnotation

Data Labelers Association Data Labelers Association

6/6
To all AI firms, platforms, and policymakers:
🔍 Be transparent.
✍🏽 Get informed consent.
🧠 Respect digital labor.
🚫 Stop surveillance.

We, the Data Labelers Association, stand for dignity, consent, and accountability in AI.
👉 datalabelers.org
#Worldcoin

5/6
The Worldcoin ruling is a signal:
🛑 No more opaque data collection
🛑 No more exploitation of low-income workers
🛑 No more secret monitoring tools
We need enforceable standards for data ethics and labor protections in AI development.
#EthicalAI #FairWork

4/6
To make it worse: many platforms install covert monitoring software on annotators' devices—watching clicks, screens, even personal data—without clear consent.
That’s surveillance, not productivity tracking.
#Spyware #DigitalExploitation

3/6
Data annotators worldwide work on facial scans, surveillance footage, LIDAR, and more—without knowing how the data will be used.
We label, transcribe, and annotate the world—yet we're rarely told why, for whom, or with what impact.

#DataLabelers #InvisibleLabor

2/6
Worldcoin used high-tech orbs to scan irises in exchange for crypto—without full disclosure or consent. The court ruled this violated Kenya’s Data Protection Act.
This isn’t just about one company. It’s about how data is collected, stored, and abused.
#DigitalSovereignty

Kenya’s High Court has ordered Worldcoin to delete all biometric data collected in the country. A win for data privacy—but what does it mean for the rest of us working in the AI pipeline?

#Worldcoin #DataPrivacy #DeleteMyData

Celebrating the hands behind AI this Labour Day in Kenya. Data labelers—the invisible architects—deserve fair pay, mental health support, and real recognition. Join the movement with the Data Labelers Association. #LabourDay #InvisibleArchitects #FairWorkAI

Shoutout to Mercy Mutemi for the big up on DLA! We truly appreciate the recognition and continued support in pushing for fair and dignified digital work. Let’s keep the momentum going!
#DLA #FairWork #DigitalJustice #OnlineWorkMatters

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Kenyan workers with AI jobs thought they had tickets to the future until the grim reality set in Training AI takes a heavy toll on Kenyan workers, who say they earned $2 an hour to label and sift through gruesome content for American companies.

"What happens is when we start to push back, in terms of protections of workers, a lot of these companies…they shut down and they move to a neighboring country."
-Nerima Wako-Ojiwa from Siasa Place
www.cbsnews.com/news/ai-work...

Honored to attend @SiasaPlace’s 10th anniversary! 🎂 Seeing youth-driven civic-tech innovations and hearing passionate leaders in action was truly inspiring. Here’s to another decade of empowering young voices! #SPat10 #CivicTech #DataForGood

Registration - Data Labelers Association

AI relies on high-quality labeled data, yet data labelers remain undervalued. It’s time to change that. Join the Data Labelers Association to connect with peers, advocate for fair pay, and gain recognition. Be part of the movement shaping AI’s future. Register now: datalabelers.org/registration...

Faster processors and smarter algorithms are only part of AI’s evolution. The real foundation is the unseen work of data labelers, who train models to recognize patterns, make predictions, and interact with humans. AI may be the future, but data annotation is what makes it possible.

Behind every AI breakthrough—whether in healthcare, finance, or self-driving cars—lies an ocean of carefully labeled data. AI learns from examples, and the quality of those examples determines its accuracy. Without precise data annotation, even the most advanced models would fail.

AI is evolving at breakneck speed, but what’s fueling this rapid progress? Massive datasets, powerful computing, and advanced algorithms are key. Yet, none of it works without high-quality labeled data, meticulously prepared by data annotators who remain the unsung heroes of AI development.

“As AI has been integrated into workplaces, early evidence suggests a paradox: instead of reducing workloads, many AI-equipped employees are busier than ever… employees in AI-exposed occupations are working longer hours and spending less time on socialisation and leisure.”
cepr.org/voxeu/column...

If well-executed, Kenya’s AI Strategy 2025-2030 could position the country as a leader in AI innovation in Africa. Success will depend on strong execution, investment, and collaboration to ensure the strategy remains actionable, inclusive, and adaptable to emerging AI advancements.