click.work

click.work is an interactive digital artwork that explores the invisible labor behind artificial intelligence. It simulates microtasks such as image labeling and data tagging, tasks commonly found on platforms like Mechanical Turk, to reveal the precarious and underpaid conditions of data workers. By stepping into their role, viewers are invited to reflect on the human effort embedded in AI systems, fostering a deeper awareness of the individuals who make machine learning possible.

The piece is inspired by the net art movement, which critically engaged with the impact of digital technology on society. Click.work invites the viewer to complete tasks that accelerate in speed with each interaction. As the tasks pile up, the wage counter shows just how little is earned, revealing the dehumanizing and exploitative nature of this labor. The rapid succession of tasks simulates the overwhelming demands faced by data workers in a system that relentlessly pushes them to work faster for less.

After each microtask, a resource appears: fragments of lived experience sourced from the Data Workers Inquiry Research Project. These resources shed light on the working conditions, wage disparities, and psychological impacts of data work in the Global South, where much of this labor is outsourced. This highlights the ethical concerns surrounding gig economy work and the exploitation inherent in the digital labor market. The project provides an opportunity for viewers to gain insight into the human side of data production and the personal toll it takes on workers, encouraging the viewer to ask themselves: how can we ensure that the people behind the screen are seen and heard?

Ultimately, click.work invites viewers to reflect critically on the ethical implications of AI and digital labor, challenging them to consider the human cost of the technologies that power our digital world.