For years, we’ve been bombarded with the idea that artificial intelligence is the answer to all our problems. A revolution, they say—a future marked by progress. But behind the hype lies a troubling reality that tech moguls are eager to hide: AI isn’t as artificial as we’re led to believe. It relies on the invisible labor of workers from the Global South—“click workers” in places like Kenya and Colombia—who spend their days labeling, annotating, and moderating data. Without them, AI wouldn’t function.
In my interview with Blast, I discuss how platform capitalism, at the heart of the Big Tech empire, revives the darkest aspects of our past—colonialism, racism, and authoritarianism. It’s techno-fascism in action: on one side, promises of a better future through technology; on the other, mass exploitation and displacement. Thousands are caught in the middle, grinding away as the invisible labor force of AI, while the cycle of oppression continues.