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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 14h

Of the data workers surveyed by @alphabetworkersunion.org and TechEquity, only 30% reported that they are paid for the time when no tasks are available.

Check out "Ghost Workers in the AI Machine" to learn more: techequity.us/2025/09/30/g...

Ghost Workers in the AI Machine: U.S. Data Workers Speak Out About Big Tech's Exploitation - TechEquity Collaborative

Alphabet Workers Union-CWA and TechEquity interviewed U.S. data workers to shed light on the working conditions of the people powering AI.

techequity.us

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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 14h

What if you had a job that was paid hourly, but between tasks, you just had to wait online, unpaid, yet ready to go at any moment?

This is the reality for many of the people in the U.S. who train AI for multibillion-dollar companies.

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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 17h

That's it for this week. Leave your #TopFive in the comments, and follow us for more news about tech's impact on the economy.

TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 17h

5) A journalist found widespread bugs and bias in AI hiring tools. @npr.org

www.npr.org/2025/10/03/n...

Are AI hiring tools any good? This journalist found widespread bias and bugs

When companies use AI for job screening, how are people supposed to stand out? Journalist Hilke Schellmann says these tools are buggy and biased, so applicants need to rethink their resumes.

www.npr.org

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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 17h

4) Uber is expanding its AI coders and data-labelers for hire business, raising the question: Is there an industry that can’t or won’t be gigified? @bloomberg.com @natalielung.com

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Uber Buys Data Labeling Startup in Push to Sell AI Services

Uber Technologies Inc. has bought Belgian startup Segments.ai as the ride-hailing company seeks to expand its nascent data-labeling business.

www.bloomberg.com

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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 17h

3) @sanders.senate.gov calls for AI that benefits everyone, not just billionaires, after a Senate Democrat report finds that AI could erase over 100 million jobs.

www.foxnews.com/opinion/sen-...

SEN SANDERS: AI must benefit everyone, not just a handful of billionaires

Billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos invest billions in AI and robotics that could eliminate millions of jobs while increasing corporate profits at workers' expense.

www.foxnews.com

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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 17h

2) A new lawsuit claims that mortgage software provider Optimal Blue enabled lenders to share data and collude on prices, driving up mortgage costs throughout the country. @reuters.com @mikescarcella.bsky.social

www.reuters.com/legal/govern...

www.reuters.com

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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 17h

1) The wealth gap is increasing, and so is the number of high-priced homes for these top earners. Where’s the housing for everyone else? Will the market actually correct itself? @yahoofinance.com @claireboston.bsky.social

finance.yahoo.com/news/million...

Million-dollar homes are the fastest-moving part of the housing market as wealth gap grows

Stock market gains and healthy home equity positions are helping fuel strong sales of higher-priced homes.

finance.yahoo.com

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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 17h

It's Friday, so it's time for the #TopFive things you need to read this week to understand tech’s impact on our economy with TechEquity Founder and CEO @catherinebracy.com:

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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 17h

Landlords are now using tenant screening services that scrape pay stubs from employers’ systems to verify income. How short is the jump, though, from this to surveillance rental pricing?

www.404media.co/landlords-de...

Landlords Demand Tenants’ Workplace Logins to Scrape Their Paystubs

Screenshots shared with 404 Media show tenant screening services ApproveShield and Argyle taking much more data than they need. “Opt-out means no housing.”

www.404media.co

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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 1d

Check out "Ghost Workers in the AI Machine: U.S. Data Workers Speak Out About Big Tech’s Exploitation" to learn about the working conditions of U.S. data workers and how you can support their organizing efforts: techequity.us/2025/09/30/g...

Ghost Workers in the AI Machine: U.S. Data Workers Speak Out About Big Tech's Exploitation - TechEquity Collaborative

Alphabet Workers Union-CWA and TechEquity interviewed U.S. data workers to shed light on the working conditions of the people powering AI.

techequity.us

TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 1d

Despite making critical contributions to the booming AI industry, data workers often report that they aren’t treated like the skilled, valuable workers that they are.

So, from @alphabetworkersunion.org to @turkopticon.bsky.social, data workers are organizing for better pay and working conditions.

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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 1d

And this isn’t the only polling that shows Americans are largely uncomfortable with the use of AI in employment, housing, and healthcare.

Check out our latest blog to find out what else people think about AI—from sea to shining sea: techequity.us/2025/10/07/h...

How people really feel about AI—from sea to shining sea - TechEquity Collaborative

Americans are deeply concerned about the lack of guardrails on AI and they want government to do something about it.

techequity.us

TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 1d

When asked whether AI should be used to screen health insurance claims, 71% of respondents to a survey by Quinnipiac University said no.

67% said AI shouldn’t be used by banks to screen loan applications, and 64% said that AI shouldn’t be used by companies to screen job applications.

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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 1d

One of those changemakers is our very own Chief of Advocacy, Samantha Gordon. Join her for a fireside chat with @roybahat.com, activist and head of Bloomberg Beta, the venture capital arm of Bloomberg.

partiful.com/e/XVkXHuHKgT...

RSVP to Tech Block Party by Omidyar Network - #SFTechWeek | Partiful

Tech Block Party by Omidyar Network An immersive mash-up of technology, social impact, music, art, and community. As part of, and also counter-programming SF Tech Week, we’re gathering innovators, ch...

partiful.com

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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 1d

TOMORROW IN SF: Tech Block Party by @omidyarnetwork.bsky.social is an immersive mash-up of technology, social impact, music, art, and community.

They’re gathering innovators, changemakers, and community voices for an afternoon of dynamic engagement, entertainment, and collaboration.

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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 1d

While a case study in how not to communicate with workers, Opendoor CEO Kaz Nejatian’s call to “default to AI” is also troubling for a company that buys and sells housing and a technology known to be faulty and biased.

www.inc.com/justin-baris...

'Default to AI or Else,' Says New Opendoor CEO in a Companywide Email. It’s a Lesson in Emotional Intelligence

New Opendoor CEO Kaz Nejatian recently shared a companywide email. It’s a case study in how not to communicate with your people.

www.inc.com

TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 2d

Workers, organizers, and activists in the tech industry, are you heading to #CircuitBreakers next weekend?

If you are, be sure to say hi to our Senior VP of Labor @tnewmsblues.bsky.social and Senior Manager of Community Outreach and Engagement @german-c.bsky.social!

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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 2d

Check out our report "Ghost Workers in the AI Machine" to learn more: techequity.us/2025/09/30/g...

Ghost Workers in the AI Machine: U.S. Data Workers Speak Out About Big Tech's Exploitation - TechEquity Collaborative

Alphabet Workers Union-CWA and TechEquity interviewed U.S. data workers to shed light on the working conditions of the people powering AI.

techequity.us

TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 2d

In fact, of the U.S. data workers surveyed by @alphabetworkersunion.org and TechEquity, more than half of the workers who are assigned an average estimated time (AET) to complete a task felt that AETs are often not long enough to complete the task accurately.

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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 2d

AI is increasingly being used to make decisions about where you work and where you live—but how reliable is this technology?

The workers fueling AI say they’re hamstrung by a lack of control over their work process, which could result in lower-quality work and, in turn, higher-risk AI systems.

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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 2d

To demonstrate this point, we aggregated and analyzed all of the public polls we could find that asked the public to weigh in on AI.

Check it out: techequity.us/2025/10/07/h...

How people really feel about AI—from sea to shining sea - TechEquity Collaborative

Americans are deeply concerned about the lack of guardrails on AI and they want government to do something about it.

techequity.us

TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 2d

What they have to say is overwhelming: they’re deeply concerned about the lack of guardrails on AI, particularly in high-risk areas such as employment, and they want government to do something about it. @consumerreports.org

innovation.consumerreports.org/what-cr-foun...

Survey: Majority of Americans are Uncomfortable with AI in Employment, Housing, Healthcare Decisions - Innovation at Consumer Reports

What do Americans think about using AI in highly consequential scenarios? CR surveyed Americans on several topics, including AI and algorithmic decision making

innovation.consumerreports.org

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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 2d

But despite not having much of a voice in the debate about AI, the public has made itself heard in dozens of polls—including TechEquity’s—over the last year.

techequity.us/2025/08/19/h...

How Californians Feel About AI - Findings From the 2025 AI Compass - TechEquity Collaborative

We surveyed over a thousand Californians about AI to find out if organizations and legislators have it right or are missing the mark.

techequity.us

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TechEquity @techequity.bsky.social · 2d

Lost in the fervor is the point of view of everyday people, the users of AI and the ones on whom AI is increasingly being used—to provision housing, create medical treatment recommendations, screen job candidates, and determine creditworthiness.

techequity.us/2025/05/20/l...

Algorithms are making life-changing decisions about you—but how do they work? - TechEquity Collaborative

Automated decision systems are increasingly making life-changing decisions about our housing, work, and healthcare. But how do they work?

techequity.us

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