ILO Examines the Human Labour Behind Artificial Intelligence Data Systems
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is examining the often-overlooked human workforce that supports the development of modern artificial intelligence systems, with a new discussion in Geneva focusing on data work and its wider economic and social implications.
The ILO-hosted session “Data work and territory: The Latin American experience” is taking place on 9 September 2026 as part of the ninth annual conference of the International Network on Digital Labour.
Modern AI systems depend on large quantities of data. Behind this data are workers involved in activities such as generating, annotating, organizing and curating information used to develop AI technologies. The ILO session is examining how this largely invisible workforce contributes to AI production.
The discussion is particularly focused on Latin America, where digital labour platforms have created new forms of work while also exposing workers to economic and social inequalities. The session is examining how value is generated and distributed throughout increasingly international digital supply chains.
The issue has become more important as AI adoption expands across industries. Companies developing AI applications require increasingly large and specialized datasets, creating demand for human workers who prepare information for machine-learning systems.
However, the economic benefits generated by these digital supply chains may not be distributed equally. The ILO discussion is therefore looking at the relationship between AI production, labour conditions and regional economic inequalities.
The event forms part of the broader AI Supply Chains research agenda, which seeks to understand how artificial intelligence is changing the organization of work and the international distribution of economic value.
The ILO’s broader 2026 employment research also points to significant changes in global labour markets. Its Employment and Social Trends 2026 analysis highlights AI adoption alongside demographic changes, trade-policy uncertainty, low foreign direct investment and sluggish trade growth as factors affecting future employment and decent-work prospects.
For workers involved in data-related activities, the expansion of AI could create new opportunities, but it also raises questions about job quality, income distribution, working conditions and the protection of workers operating through digital platforms.
The latest ILO discussion illustrates that the AI economy is not built exclusively on algorithms and computing infrastructure. Human labour remains an important part of the data supply chain, making working conditions and labour rights increasingly relevant to discussions about responsible AI development.
