[kictanet] AI Training jobs - the hidden value

Mon Nov 12 17:52:48 EAT 2018

 @Grace & listers,
AI training is a totally new industry in Kenya, literally creating a new type of jobs that didn't exist (which is a very good thing). There is no salary baseline - and from that perspective, its hard to tell whether $9 a day is fair or not. 

I think this one has hidden value (besides pay) - in that is a rare opportunity for Kenyans to *learn* about the data/training side of AI - possibly as an inspiration for developing (or consulting for) home-grown AI startups in the future.

If I were in my twenties (or an ICT student), I would probably apply and work there for 1-3 months just to get a good feel of the real state of applied AI, and to see whether working there will inspire some fresh/creative ideas to solve problems our local context. 
Great for entry level launchpad jobs but just don't plan to make a career of it (as soon as AI training can get automated, it will be).
Brgds,
Patrick.
    On Monday, November 12, 2018, 4:34:52 PM GMT+3, Grace Bomu via kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:  

 Just to add to the debate: A BBC story on AI outsourcing in KenyaWHY BIG TECH PAYS POOR KENYANS TO TEACH SELF DRIVING CARS.....
Brenda does this work for Samasource, a San Francisco-based company that counts Google, Microsoft, Salesforce and Yahoo among its clients. Most of these firms don't like to discuss the exact nature of their work with Samasource - as it is often for future projects - but it can be said that the information prepared here forms a crucial part of some of Silicon Valley's biggest and most famous efforts in AI...Samasource instead provides a living wage of around $9 a day. That's an improvement, but still a pittance for Silicon Valley.
"Yes, it's cost effective," Janah said. "But one thing that's critical in our line of work is to not pay wages that would distort local labour markets. If we were to pay people substantially more than that, we would throw everything off. That would have a potentially negative impact on the cost of housing, the cost of food in the communities in which our workers thrive."
https://www.bbc.com/news/ technology-46055595

Il lunedì 12 novembre 2018, Barrack Otieno via kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke > ha scritto:

Hi Wainaina and listers,

Unfortunately we don't have a culture of rewarding local innovations
and pumping billions into local Research and Development. The global
north has noticed the talent that abounds locally and is not
hesitating in tapping into it. I wish we could invest more into our
Vocational Institutions and provide funding that would help our
innovators in the Jua Kali space to scale up.  That said i would be
curious to hear what ndugu Ali who has been involved in the start up
phase or Harry Hare have to say since i consider them authorities in
the space.

Regards

On 11/12/18, Bernard Kioko via kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke > wrote:
> Moral rights are not transferrable.
>
> On Mon, Nov 12, 2018 at 2:35 PM Patrick A. M. Maina via kictanet <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
>> Heehe $12,000 for the "best" source code (including moral rights - so you
>> will never get credited if its a big hit) is a complete joke imo.
>>
>> I would urge local developers to be cautious about these competitions and
>> approach them strategically.
>>
>> For example, you can use these kind of competitions as idea triggers to
>> (lawfully) get clues and inspiration on what problems need solving
>> (*without*
>> participating or signing up, as that potentially binds you to their T&Cs)
>> -
>> then form teams/coalitions to solve these problems independently for a
>> much
>> bigger potential payoff.
>>
>> On policy these things are happening because there are glaring loopholes
>> in our intellectual property laws that allow *IP mining* to take place
>> without any restriction or consequences. Its literally a free for all.
>>
>> Kenya needs an "Intellectual Property Resources Act", which would
>> invalidate exploitative contracts / terms and conditions is long overdue.
>> This is the kind of 21st Century legislation that can stimulate
>> innovation
>> and the creation of *high quality jobs* in Kenya.
>>
>> 21st Century resources include:
>> 1. Attention or engagement (systems designed to distract people from
>> contributing to economic activity)
>> 2. Data (for mining/analytics or ML)
>> 3. Source code, novel circuits, algorithms, chemical formulations,
>> mixtures, blue prints (including business plans, pricing models etc).
>> 4. Valuable ideas (e.g. "please call me") that cannot be protected via
>> any
>> combination of the old industrial era laws e.g. patents, copyright, UM &
>> DM.
>> 5. other?
>>
>> Thanks for the heads up and Good day!
>> Patrick.
>>
>> On Monday, November 12, 2018, 2:01:43 PM GMT+3, Wainaina Mungai via
>> kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke > wrote:
>>
>>
>> Some developers are raising concerns privately that great initiatives
>> such
>> as Zindi are "cheaply buying AI code" from Africa
>> https://zindi.africa/faq/data_ scientists
>>
>> According to them, "Zindi runs high-value expertise programming
>> competitions/ hackathons in Kenya and Nigeria... and demands code in
>> exchange for low pay prizes. It is unfairly low-cost labour for them."
>>
>> See attached. Are their concerns valid?
>>
>>
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>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and
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>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
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>
>
> --
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> Bernard Kioko
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-- 
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