arXiv:2606.19975v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: This paper examines the impact of artificial intelligence and digital technologies on the blue-collar gig economy in India, focusing on algorithmic management. This paper examines the impact of artificial intelligence and digital technologies on the blue collar gig economy in India, focusing on algorithmic management he use of automated systems to allocate, monitor, and evaluate work in location-based services such as ride sharing and delivery. Using a social justice framework and a mixed-methods approach comprising interviews with 16 gig worke
The proliferation of AI and digital platforms in emerging economies like India is accelerating the integration of algorithmic management into blue-collar gig work.
This research highlights the evolving nature of labor relations and worker exploitation within the AI-driven gig economy, which will have broad implications for economic policy and social justice frameworks globally.
The explicit focus on algorithmic management using a social justice framework shifts the conversation from technological adoption to the ethical and socio-economic consequences for the gig workforce.
- · Gig economy platforms
- · AI developers focused on optimization
- · Digital service consumers
- · Gig workers
- · Traditional labor unions
- · Regulators unprepared for algorithmic management challenges
The study reveals how AI systems are actively managing and evaluating human labor in critical sectors, leading to increased efficiency but also potential worker disempowerment.
This could prompt new regulatory efforts and legal challenges concerning worker rights and algorithmic fairness within global gig economies.
Long-term, it may contribute to a redefinition of employment, labor protection, and the role of human agency in increasingly automated work environments.
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Read at arXiv cs.AI