Kenyan Content Moderators Traumatized Training ChatGPT Safety Filters for Under $2/Hour

In November 2021, OpenAI contracted Sama, a San Francisco-based outsourcing company, to provide data labeling services for training ChatGPT's safety filters. The work involved Kenyan employees reviewing and categorizing extremely disturbing content including graphic violence, sexual abuse of children, bestiality, suicide, and hate speech to help the AI system learn to refuse harmful requests. A TIME investigation revealed that approximately 184 Kenyan workers were paid between $1.32 and $2 per hour to perform this psychologically damaging work. The moderators were required to read and label thousands of pieces of disturbing text daily, with some reporting exposure to content depicting sexual violence against children and detailed descriptions of torture and murder. Many workers reported developing lasting mental health issues including insomnia, anxiety, and intrusive thoughts. The working conditions were particularly problematic given the nature of the content and inadequate support systems. Workers reported feeling trapped in their roles due to economic necessity, with limited mental health resources available. Some moderators described the work as traumatizing and said they continued to experience psychological effects long after leaving their positions. The contrast between OpenAI's multi-billion dollar valuation and the minimal compensation provided to these essential workers highlighted significant ethical concerns about AI supply chain labor practices. When confronted about these practices, OpenAI acknowledged working with Sama but emphasized their commitment to worker safety. However, the company terminated its relationship with Sama in February 2022, citing the need to use a different vendor. This incident exposed the hidden human cost of AI safety training, where the burden of protecting users from harmful content fell disproportionately on vulnerable workers in developing countries earning subsistence wages while major tech companies profited from their trauma.