Gig work. Crowdwork. The on-demand economy. Most of us know this new type of work as Uber, but there are thousands: Mechanical Turk, Deliveroo, Fiverr, TaskRabbit, Crowdflower, Alibaba. Millions of people now count micro-work as their main source of income, precariously employed through websites and apps. But the (growing!) millions of workers who perform the creative human labour behind these companies are downplayed—even made intentionally invisible. Despite the fear of a computer take-over, human labour will continue to be crucial to the economy and the function of Artificial Intelligence and other online platforms. But in a world where we can summon the labour of another human from our pockets, how can we properly value the human lives behind this work? How can the gig economy fulfil its promise that each worker can be the master of their own life, without enslaving them through oppressive algorithms?
IMPACT GOALS Create consumer consciousness around the economic, cultural, and moral ramifications of the platform economy, and the hidden labour behind apps we use every day. Create mechanisms for labour or pro-labour organizations to teach platform workers how to build collective voice and power. Initiate the first steps towards a widely adoptable Platform Labour Accord - policies that can provide stability and support to gig workers in an economically sustainable way.