Thousands of people are selling their identities to train AI – but at what cost?

People worldwide are selling intimate personal data - including videos of their daily walks, calls, and texts - to AI companies through gig platforms for small payments. A South African man earned $14 for recording his feet while walking, representing significant income in his local economy. This highlights exploitation of economic desperation in developing countries where people trade privacy and personal moments for subsistence wages to train AI systems.