Brown student maps the hidden global labor powering AI

Brown University senior Cunyan Ma has created an interactive map documenting the global network of data workers—often in low-wage positions in the Global South—who train artificial intelligence systems by labeling images, transcribing speech, and moderating harmful content. The map aggregates existing databases, Ma's own research, and news reports to visualize what Ma calls "AI colonialism" and reveal the hidden human labor behind the AI systems that power everyday online services. Ma aims to fill a gap in public understanding by moving beyond individual anecdotal reports to show the larger systemic picture of data worker conditions and exploitation.