Jishan Jiang L&S Social Sciences
Data Labeling Internships: Socio-technical Imaginary & Legal Carve-Out
China’s vocational colleges increasingly channel students into data labeling internships, underpinning the nation’s ambitious AI development agenda. However, legal carve-outs in Chinese labor law designate these positions as “training” rather than formal employment, effectively excluding students from labor protections and rendering them a disposable workforce. This study asks: How do legal carve-outs, in conjunction with state-promoted socio‐technical imaginaries—collective visions framing data labeling as both a technical necessity and a patriotic contribution toward China’s AI future—shape labor practices and influence long‐term career trajectories of vocational college students? Existing studies rarely document students’ lived experiences and aspirations, also overlooking how narratives—like the official account of vocational colleges as “micro-factories” that prepare a workforce for an AI future—justify internship placements. By comparing China’s state-led model with global discussions on data labeling labor vulnerabilities, I seek to establish a localized framework to inform labor practices and reimagine internships to foster upward mobility and career sustainability.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much for making this opportunity possible for me! The generous funding allows me to devote my summer to explore labor policies and current socio-technical imaginaries that shape the experiences of vocational college student data labelers. Being a SURF fellow also solidifies my aspirations to pursue graduate studies in the intersection of law, education and data ethics. I’m incredibly grateful for your support in helping me take this step forward as a future researcher.