Ghost Work

Zusatztext Fordham University Center's Book Prize, 2019 A 2019 Financial Times Critics Choice "Revealing...this compassionate and informative study is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of work." Publishers Weekly Ghost Work adeptly raises the alarm about an emerging type of dehumanizing work, where invisible workers serve as cogs in the great machine of our latest information technology, entirely beholden to software and artificial intelligence. Martin Ford , bestselling author of Rise of the Robots and Architects of Intelligence An uncompromising, data-based, yet heartfelt exploration of how digital technologies have allowed corporations to write human beings even further out of the value equation, as well as how we can restore dignity and prosperity to the lives of the invisible workforce. The first step in building solidarity is simply knowing there are people out there. Douglas Rushkoff , author of Team Human and Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus . " Ghost Work is a stunning book, just the wake-up call we need to shatter the credulous belief that artificial intelligence is 'replacing' workers. As Gray and Suri masterfully demonstrate, work isn't disappearing in the age of AI; it is being hidden. Scrupulously researched and deeply humane, Ghost Work is at once a sobering reminder of what could happen if we allow algorithmic cruelty and exploitative labor practices to flourish and an inspiring call to defend the dignity and value of human labor." Virginia Eubanks , author of Automating Inequality "The Wachowskis got it wrong. Humans aren't batteries for The Matrix, we are computer chips. In this fascinating book, Mary Gray and Siddharth Suri show us just how integral human online task workers are to the development of AI and the seamless operation of all the great internet services. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand our technology-infused future." Tim O'Reilly, CEO, O'Reilly Media A remarkable book. As one of the millions of hidden workers of the world, I know this book gets to the heart of what it means to be a ghost worker. It reveals the true reality of work life for the people earning a living as digital pieceworkers. The authors also propose several technical and social fixes to collaboratively build a better future for everyone working in the shadows. Rochelle LaPlante , digital labor rights activist Ghost Work is groundbreaking, a painstaking portrait of an invisible world. We can only choose a different future of work if we truly see today's workers." Felicia Wong , President and CEO, Roosevelt Institute, Author, The Hidden Rules of Race: Barriers to an Inclusive Economy "If you think you know what's going on with digital labor, think again. This pathbreaking book is sure to re-set the debate about technology and the future of work. Based on extensive ethnography and survey research, Ghost Work is a must-read for anyone who cares about a humane future for those of us who need to work for a living. A game-changer." Juliet B. Schor , Professor of Sociology, Boston College Mary Gray and Siddharth Suri show us the human face to 'ghost work' -- the invisible and often alienating piece work that makes today's digital economy run. The people working today for Mechanical Turk and similar platforms are the canaries in the coal mine, revealing how more and more of us will be working in the years to come." Henry Jenkins , Provost's Professor of Communication, Journalism, Cinematic Art, and Education, University of Southern California " Ghost Work's mosaic of personal narratives is a welcome bulwark against oversimplification of a phenomenon that is, by design, easy to overlook. The debate around...

Fordham University Center's Book Prize, 2019
A 2019 Financial Times Critics Choice

"Revealing...this compassionate and informative study is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of work."
—Publishers Weekly

“Ghost Work adeptly raises the alarm about an emerging type of dehumanizing work, where invisible workers serve as cogs in the great machine of our latest information technology, entirely beholden to software and artificial intelligence.”—Martin Ford, bestselling author of Rise of the Robots and Architects of Intelligence

“An uncompromising, data-based, yet heartfelt exploration of how digital technologies have allowed corporations to write human beings even further out of the value equation, as well as how we can restore dignity and prosperity to the lives of the invisible workforce. The first step in building solidarity is simply knowing there are people out there.” —Douglas Rushkoff, author of Team Human and Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus.

"Ghost Work is a stunning book, just the wake-up call we need to shatter the credulous belief that artificial intelligence is ‘replacing' workers. As Gray and Suri masterfully demonstrate, work isn’t disappearing in the age of AI; it is being hidden. Scrupulously researched and deeply humane, Ghost Work is at once a sobering reminder of what could happen if we allow algorithmic cruelty and exploitative labor practices to flourish and an inspiring call to defend the dignity and value of human labor." –Virginia Eubanks, author of Automating Inequality

"The Wachowskis got it wrong. Humans aren't batteries for The Matrix, we are computer chips. In this fascinating book, Mary Gray and Siddharth Suri show us just how integral human online task workers are to the development of AI and the seamless operation of all the great internet services. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand our technology-infused future." —Tim O'Reilly, CEO, O'Reilly Media

“A remarkable book. As one of the millions of hidden workers of the world, I know this book gets to the heart of what it means to be a ghost worker. It reveals the true reality of work life for the people earning a living as digital pieceworkers. The authors also propose several technical and social fixes to collaboratively build a better future for everyone working in the shadows.” —Rochelle LaPlante, digital labor rights activist
 
“Ghost Work is groundbreaking, a painstaking portrait of an invisible world. We can only choose a different future of work if we truly see today’s workers." —Felicia Wong, President and CEO, Roosevelt Institute, Author, The Hidden Rules of Race: Barriers to an Inclusive Economy

"If you think you know what's going on with digital labor, think again. This pathbreaking book is sure to re-set the debate about technology and the future of work. Based on extensive ethnography and survey research, Ghost Work is a must-read for anyone who cares about a humane future for those of us who need to work for a living. A game-changer." —Juliet B. Schor, Professor of Sociology, Boston College
 
“Mary Gray and Siddharth Suri show us the  human face to ‘ghost work’ -- the invisible and often alienating piece work that makes today's digital economy run. The people working today for Mechanical Turk and similar platforms are the canaries in the coal mine, revealing how more and more of us will be working in the years to come." —Henry Jenkins, Provost's Professor of Communication, Journalism, Cinematic Art, and Education, University of Southern California

"Ghost Work's mosaic of personal narratives is a welcome bulwark against oversimplification of a phenomenon that is, by design, easy to overlook. The debate around a complex and troubling labor market comes to life through the stories of its most vulnerable participants.” — Jonathan Zittrain, George Bemis Professor of International Law at Harvard Law School, Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard School of Engineering & App…