In a disturbing trend, female workers in India are being tasked with watching hours of abusive content to train artificial intelligence systems, taking a significant toll on their mental health and leaving them feeling drained and empty.

The work involves reviewing and categorizing vast amounts of disturbing content, including hate speech, harassment, and other forms of online abuse, in order to help AI systems learn to recognize and flag such content.

Those involved in this work report feeling blank, empty, and disconnected from the world around them, with the constant exposure to abusive content eroding their sense of empathy and compassion, making it challenging for them to maintain healthy relationships or engage in everyday activities.

This issue highlights the darker side of the tech industry’s relentless pursuit of innovation and the human sacrifice that often comes with it, emphasizing the need to consider the well-being of those who are making AI possible.

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