Ephantus Kanyugi, co-founder of the Data Labelers Association, shares his journey from a finance graduate unable to secure a traditional job in Kenya to working in the digital labor economy. After struggling with informal and low-paid gigs, he joined CloudFactory in 2018 as a data annotator. Despite gaining skills in image, video, and map annotation, the work was unstable, with poor pay, no benefits, and monthly contracts. He later joined Remote Tasks, where initial high earnings declined sharply as tasks became more complex and underpaid. Workers often endured unpaid labor, exploitative surveillance, and lack of basic rights.

These experiences sparked the creation of the Data Labelers Association in early 2025, formed by ten experienced trainers aiming to represent the often-ignored majority of AI’s global workforce. The group now includes over 800 members. Their agenda includes pushing for fair pay, mental health support, worker upskilling, civic education, and a code of conduct for platform companies. Ephantus stresses the need to raise awareness among clients, policy makers, and the public about the hidden labor behind AI.