Milagros Miceli among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in Artificial Intelligence

Weizenbaum researcher Milagros Miceli is listed by TIME as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Artificial Intelligence. Miceli is recognized for her work in the Data Workers’ Inquiry. The magazine states: „As a sociologist and computer scientist, Milagros Miceli made her name studying the working lives of AI data labelers. These are the people around the world—many of whom earn just dollars or pennies per hour—who create the training data for machine learning models, often in distressing, exploitative conditions. But Miceli grew uncomfortable after she realized that while she was winning plaudits for her work, nothing was changing in the invisible lives of her subjects.“

The TIME 100/AI list is comprised for the third year in a row. TIME’s editors and reporters examined the key stories in AI over the past year and consulted with expert sources and industry leaders for recommendations. The result is a list of 100 leaders, innovators, shapers, and thinkers who have a stake in the future of AI. It includes prominent figures like Sam Altman (CEO OpenAI) and Karen Hoa (Author). Miceli is featured in the Shapers category.

The Data Workers’ Inquiry, the project Miceli has started with other researchers at the Weizenbaum Institute and DAIR (Distributed AI Research Institute), and is leading as the Principal Investigator, is the first of its kind. It’s a community-based research project where data workers from all over the world take center stage in the telling of their own stories and report on their workplaces. It aims to shed light on the often-invisible experiences and challenges faced by the workers who power the world of artificial intelligence. Despite their critical role in the development and maintenance of AI, data workers are often rendered invisible, their contributions unrecognized, and their well-being overlooked.

The project's findings serve as a repository and resource for researchers, journalists, and policymakers seeking first-hand accounts of data work, as well as for other data workers.

Since launching in July 2024, it has gained attention by the international press.

We spoke with Miceli in April 2024 about her research with data workers, shortly before the launch of the project. Read the interview here

To find out more about the Data Workers' Inquiry, visit the project’s website

Join us on 17 September, for an event with a keynote by Miceli and a panel discussion of data workers. Sign up here