The Ghost Economy: How Labor from the Global South Powers the Digital Future
By Lucky Star, Responsible AI | Blockchain Educator & Consultant
What We Do Not See but Rely On
[May 10, 2025] — As our digital tools become more integrated into daily life, many conversations center on what artificial intelligence and blockchain can accomplish. But a deeper question remains—who sustains these systems behind the scenes?
Much of what appears “automated” is not. It is powered by people. Whether it is training datasets, moderating online content, or verifying transactions on blockchain networks, there is human effort involved. Often, that labor comes from regions such as India, Kenya, the Philippines, and Brazil—communities portrayed as technologically behind but, in reality, rich with highly capable talent contributing globally.
It Is Not About Ability—It Is About Being Recognized
From South Asia to East Africa and many places between, people are performing essential digital tasks every day. Many are multilingual, skilled in software platforms, and capable of advanced analytical work. Yet they are routinely hired for repetitive or extractive tasks with limited agency over how the systems they support evolve (Casilli, 2025).
These individuals are not lacking in capability. What they lack is meaningful input into how their work is valued, how it is protected, and how decisions about that work are made. The structure rewards automation but depends on hidden effort that is too often excluded from public view or fair compensation (Ajunwa, 2023).
Global Patterns of Uneven Recognition
Within the United States and throughout the Americas, people from under-acknowledged communities—especially women and those treated as peripheral by dominant institutions fill roles like “Community Manager” or “Contract Content Moderator.” These positions carry the emotional and practical weight of ensuring safe digital experiences but often exist without the decision-making authority or career stability that shape long-term impact.
Even within tech development circles, individuals from these communities are more likely to be invited for visibility—public talks, ambassadorships, promotional panels—than brought into internal governance or infrastructure design. This was further explored in my previous article on erasure and influence in AI leadership, where the separation between representation and true participation remains a pressing concern.
When Tools Are Global, but Decision-Making Is Not
A platform can serve the entire world and still center its governance in a small number of nations or institutions. This imbalance often goes unspoken, but it is felt across the workflows of those asked to sustain innovation without support or reciprocity.
The result is a model where high-growth tools scale outward using invisible labor while central authority remains consolidated. And while these platforms may be promoted as “borderless” or “inclusive,” the lack of shared ownership and mutual care tells another story (Casilli, 2025).
Why Broader Acknowledgment Matters
Real participation does not start with publicity. It begins with asking honest questions:
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Who created this dataset? - Were the contributors informed about how their work would be used?
- Are compensation structures transparent and fair?
- Can those involved access opportunity for growth—not just task repetition?
These are not rhetorical concerns. They are foundational to whether our tools serve a shared human future—or only replicate extractive systems under new terminology.
What You Can Do—From Any Starting Point
If you work in tech, development, or research:
- Ask where the foundational work is coming from and how those workers are treated.
- Choose platforms and vendors that are clear about their labor practices and feedback channels.
- Invest in professional pathways that include people across geographies—not just at launch events, but in planning meetings and budgets.
If you are learning about this for the first time:
- Know that your awareness can make a difference.
- Share what you learn with others, especially those making decisions about education, funding, or tech procurement.
- Support platforms, creators, and businesses that take the time to explain who is behind their tools—and how they are valued.
The Invitation Is Ongoing
Thank you for taking the time to explore the unseen architecture of our digital lives. When those who contribute to our tools are acknowledged, respected, and given room to shape the systems they support, we all gain. Transparent practices lead to more trust. Broader participation leads to more meaningful innovation. And when care is reflected in the foundations, the outcomes speak for themselves.
We each play a part in shaping what the digital future becomes. Whether you are building, learning, or simply paying attention—your presence and curiosity matter.