9.2.26 Inequality, Democracy, and Artificial Intelligence
Inequality, Democracy, and Artificial Intelligence : Why the Future of Work Is a Question of Design, Power, and Public Will 9February 2026 Three Real Stories That Reveal One Structural Crisis Story 1: Algorithmic Control in a U.S. Warehouse (Global North) Investigations in the United States during 2023–24 revealed how warehouse workers were governed by algorithmic systems that dictated work pace, monitored bodily movement, and triggered automated warnings or terminations. Injury rates in some facilities exceeded industry norms, yet workers had little visibility into or control over the systems evaluating them. Source (copy-paste): https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/11/technology/amazon-warehouse-workers-injuries.html Story 2: The Gig Worker and the Invisible Algorithm in India (Global South) In India, millions of app-based drivers and delivery workers found that opaque algorithms could abruptly change incentives, reduce visibility, or deactivate accounts altogether. Although these w...
