Fairwork AI Ratings 2023 The Workers Behind AI at Sama

The first Fairwork AI report presents the results of a case study into Sama, a data annotation company that aims to have a positive social impact, which was conducted as part of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) “AI for Fair Work” project. Across the world, there is increasing attention paid to the precarious situation of workers that are part of the AI supply chain. The Fairwork AI ratings presented in this report, which assess the working conditions of workers at Sama in different job roles and performing various tasks, show that fairness at work is not a given, but that by pointing to shortcomings and encouraging meaningful pro-worker change, substantial improvements can be achieved. The key improvements Sama made to the working conditions of its workers through their engagement with Fairwork are the focus of this report. Concretely, as a result of engagement with Fairwork, Sama has made some 24 significant changes in the past year to their operational model and business practices, including guaranteeing the living wage for its workers, eliminating unpaid overtime and extending employment contracts.