The Cost of Contributing to AI

A Personal Story about AI

My grandfather suffered from Parkinson's disease, a neurological condition that affects mobility. As his caregiver, I witnessed firsthand his daily struggles with motor coordination and balance, and it was heartbreaking to see him confined to a wheelchair. However, a new technology called a "smart cane" has been developed to assist Parkinson's patients with movement, and it was through donations and funding that this technology became available to us. This made me wonder, how much value do we contribute to the development of AI, and should we be compensated?

Examples of Contributions to AI

From the input of search queries to social media posts, online purchasing behavior, monitoring health, and engagement with digital assistants like Siri or Alexa, we are constantly providing data for AI to learn and improve from. But it is not just data, we also contribute our time to train algorithms by identifying pictures and labeling videos. Moreover, many of us engage in crowdsourcing efforts, providing valuable feedback to improve AI performance in various industries.

Compensation for Contributing to AI

1. Recognize the Value: There is no doubt that our contributions are invaluable to the development of AI. New technologies would not be possible without the data and feedback we provide. Recognizing this value means acknowledging the importance of our contributions.
2. Protect Our Privacy: As we continue to contribute to AI, we must also protect our privacy. Companies that use our data need to have policies that protect our personal information. Moreover, we should be given the option to opt-in or opt-out of data collection efforts.
3. Compensate Fairly: Companies that use our data to train algorithms or improve AI services should consider compensating their contributors. After all, we are essentially helping them make money. Compensation could come in the form of vouchers, discounts, or monetary rewards.