Learners in the loop: hidden human skills in machine intelligence

Titolo Rivista SOCIOLOGIA DEL LAVORO
Autori/Curatori Paola Tubaro
Anno di pubblicazione 2022 Fascicolo 2022/163
Lingua Inglese Numero pagine 20 P. 110-129 Dimensione file 236 KB
DOI 10.3280/SL2022-163006
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Today’s artificial intelligence, largely based on data-intensive machine learning algorithms, relies heavily on the digital labour of invisibilized and precarized humans-in-the-loop who perform multiple functions of data preparation, verification of results, and even impersonation when algorithms fail. Using original quantitative and qualitative data, the present article shows that these workers are highly educated, engage significant (sometimes advanced) skills in their activity, and earnestly learn alongside machines. However, the loop is one in which human workers are at a disadvantage as they experience systematic misrecognition of the value of their competencies and of their contributions to technology, the economy, and ultimately society. This situation hinders negotiations with companies, shifts power away from workers, and challenges the traditional balancing role of the salary institution.

Basata su algoritmi di apprendimento automatico (machine learning) ad alta intensità di dati, l’intelligenza artificiale di oggi si basa largamente sul contributo di "umani nel loop", invisibilizzati e precarizzati, che svolgono una varietà di funzioni di supporto. La partecipazione di questi lavoratori all’apprendimento automatico è una forma di digital labour, e fa parte di catene di approvvigionamento che si estendono in tutto il mondo per soddisfare le crescenti esigenze dell’industria tecnologica. L’articolo esplora come le nozioni di apprendimento negli esseri umani e di apprendimento automatico nelle macchine si intersecano e si influenzano a vicenda. L’analisi si basa sui dati originali di due studi a metodo misto, condotti rispettivamente in Francia e nel mondo di lingua spagnola (Spagna e America Latina). Contro un luogo comune, l’articolo mostra che il "loop" è uno in cui sia le macchine che le persone imparano, ed abilità umane molto avanzate vengono messe a valore. Tuttavia, gli esseri umani sono in svantaggio perché la riorganizzazione del lavoro in atto impedisce loro di ottenere un riconoscimento e di costruire una traiettoria di sviluppo personale e professionale. Minacciando il classico legame tra apprendimento/abilità e reddito, questo è un meccanismo attraverso il quale l’istituzione salario viene erosa.

Keywords:piattaforme di lavoro digitali, intelligenza artificiale, competenze, paesi di lingua spagnola

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Paola Tubaro, Learners in the loop: hidden human skills in machine intelligence in "SOCIOLOGIA DEL LAVORO " 163/2022, pp 110-129, DOI: 10.3280/SL2022-163006