Italy’s national broadcaster Rai 1 has shined a light on a crucial but often overlooked aspect of artificial intelligence in their program “Codice.” Their recent report reveals the essential truth: AI is built on real human work. As you might expect, this report bears the fingerprints of our team at DiPLab Rai 1, with DiPLab’s co-founder Antonio Casilli being interviewed among the experts of AI supply chains.

DiPLab researcher Paola Tubaro recently completed a research and outreach mission to Argentina, participating in multiple academic and policy events. This mission represents DiPLab’s continued commitment to international research collaboration and knowledge transfer. Through presentations to policy makers, academic audiences, and students, the trip facilitated the dissemination of DiPLab’s research on digital labor, platform economics, and AI governance to diverse stakeholders in the Argentine academic and policy communities. On May 12, Tubaro participated in the conference “Manipulación Informativa e Injerencia Extranjera: Desafíos Globales y Respuestas Democráticas,” organized by the European Union Delegation in Argentina in collaboration with several embassies, including France. In the panel “Cómo contrarrestar la desinformación respetando la libertad de expresión y el derecho a la información,” Tubaro presented research findings on the economic mechanisms underlying disinformation, specifically examining how advertising markets sustain false information dissemination across digital platforms. She addressed the regulatory challenges surrounding these markets and discussed the role of scientific research in developing evidence-based policy responses, referencing ongoing work within the EU-funded AI4TRUST project. On May 13, Tubaro delivered presentations on internet disinformation to journalism students at two Argentine institutions: Universidad Nacional de Avellaneda and Universidad Abierta Interamericana,. These sessions focused on the intersection of digital platforms, information verification, and journalistic practice in the contemporary media landscape. During May 16-17, Tubaro participated in three panels within the “Noche de las Ideas” program, an annual initiative of the French Institute held at Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. The 2024 theme was “El poder de actuar” (The Power to Act). Her contributions included: the opening session addressing the annual theme, a panel discussion “¿Nuevas servidumbres voluntarias? Jóvenes y precariedad” examining digital platform labor conditions and youth employment, and the panel “‘In A.I. we trust?’ Actuar con y en contra de las nuevas tecnologías” analyzing artificial intelligence governance and regulation On May 20, Tubaro presented “Universidad Nacional de Avellaneda y en la Universidad Abierta Interamericana,” (The Future of Work and AI) as part of the UBA Digital lecture series at Universidad de Buenos Aires. The presentation featured research findings from DiPLab’s ongoing investigation into digital labor and its role in artificial intelligence production systems. The session was hosted by the Faculty of Dentistry, which also provided a tour of their clinical facilities.

On May 1st, 2025—Labor Day—France24 hosted a timely televised debate on the fears and opportunities that artificial intelligence presents for workers. Among the guests was Paola Tubaro, co-founder of DiPLab and a researcher at CNRS, who offered a sharp perspective on the discussion. The conversation revolved around a deep contradiction. On one hand, a widespread fear that AI will replace human labor, destabilize job markets, and deepen inequality. Certain jobs—especially those involving routine or precarious tasks—seem to be far more vulnerable than others. On the other hand, AI is also seen as a potential opportunity: the beginning of a “new industrial revolution”, capable of transforming how we work, influencing education, creating new room for social dialogue between employers, governments, and workers. Click here for video Yet Dr. Tubaro urged viewers to go further than surface-level concerns, by shifting the focus toward a more often overlooked question: how AI is produced, and by whom. Behind every “intelligent” machine lies a hidden human infrastructure—thousands of workers labeling data, training algorithms, and moderating online content. These workers, often located in the Global South, remain largely invisible, underpaid, and unprotected. For Tubaro, these workers are among those most overlooked in the AI-driven economy, often bearing the hidden costs of innovation. > “The struggles and union efforts of data workers in the Global South are > especially powerful because they’re not just fighting for better > conditions—they’re putting forward a vision of what AI should be, and what > kind of future it could help us build.” (Paola Tubaro, France24, 1 mai 2025) However, their story does not end there. These same workers are now at the forefront of organizing and resistance, pushing back against the terms of their exploitation and offering alternative visions of an AI-driven world. They are contributing a powerful voice to the global conversation about technology and fairness.