Tuesday
Data Workers
Michael Geoffrey Asia, The Emotional Labor Behind AI Intimacy (Data Workers Inquiry, 2025).
Jason Koebler, “‘AI Is African Intelligence’: The Workers Who Train AI Are Fighting Back,” 404 Media, March 12, 2026.
In-class activities
Additional reading
“Reimagining the future of data and AI labor in the Global South” (Brookings Institute)
The Gig is Up (documentary)
Behind the Screen: Content Moderation in the Shadows of Social Media
“AI and data labeling: ‘I felt like my life ended’” (BBC)
“I’m Kenyan. I don’t write like ChatGPT. ChatGPT writes like me.”
Thursday
AI and the Future of Work
TechEquity, Take the Mic: How Worker Voice Shapes Workplace Technology, July 29, 2025.
Josh Dzieza, “The Laid-off Lawyers and PhDs Training AI to Steal Their Careers,” March 10, 2026.
In-class activities
Additional materials
Dash, Anil. “How the Hell Are You Supposed to Have a Career in Tech in 2026?” January 5, 2026. https://anildash.com/2026/01/05/a-tech-career-in-2026/.
PowerSwitch Action, “Building Worker Power in the Digital Age”