Scale AI—Scale AI's Remotasks platform operated 'digital sweatshops' paying Filipino and Kenyan workers below minimum wage
Washington Post investigation documented Scale AI's Remotasks platform as 'digital sweatshops' where workers train AI models for below minimum wage. Filipino taskers initially earned up to $200/week, but after expansion to India and Venezuela in 2021, pay plunged from $10/task to less than 1 cent. Of 36 workers interviewed, 34 reported delayed, reduced, or canceled payments. In March 2024, Remotasks abruptly shut down Kenya operations, stranding thousands without job security or owed wages. Three class-action lawsuits filed in late 2024/early 2025 alleged worker misclassification, unpaid training, and 'Orwellian' surveillance.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform Labor Conditions | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Worker Rights | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.885 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (critical ×2) × confidence (0.59)
Evidence (1 signal)
Washington Post investigation documented Scale AI's Remotasks as 'digital sweatshops' with below-minimum-wage pay
Washington Post published an investigation into Scale AI's Remotasks platform documenting 'digital sweatshop' conditions. Of 36 current and former Filipino workers interviewed, 34 reported delayed, reduced, or canceled payments. Pay dropped from $10/task to less than 1 cent after expansion. In March 2024, Remotasks abruptly exited Kenya, stranding thousands. Three class-action lawsuits filed in late 2024/early 2025.