Rural Indian Women Suffer Trauma Watching 800 Violent Videos Daily to Train AI for Tech Giants

Feb 07, 2026
the Guardian
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Summary

Rural Indian women working for global tech companies endure severe psychological trauma by watching up to 800 violent and pornographic videos daily to train AI algorithms, with most receiving no mental health support while bound by strict confidentiality agreements that silence their suffering.

Key Points

  • Female workers in rural India are experiencing severe psychological trauma from content moderation jobs that require them to watch up to 800 violent and pornographic videos daily to train AI algorithms for global tech companies
  • Women make up half of India's estimated 70,000 data annotation workforce, with 80% drawn from marginalized communities who are deliberately targeted by firms seeking lower labor costs in smaller cities
  • Workers report lasting mental health effects including sleep disturbances, intrusive thoughts, and emotional numbing, while strict NDAs prevent them from discussing their work and most companies provide no psychological support

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