Labor x Tech Editor @restofworld.org, covering how tech is transforming the way we work, especially outside the west. Ideas & tips: gayathri@restofworld.org. https://bsky.app/profile/gayathriv.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/gayathriv.bsky.social/post/3m4zxyopass2rMicrosoft, Google say data centers will create thousands of jobs in Chile. But @restofworld's analysis of permit filings show the largest data centers have the potential to create only hundreds of full time jobs, mostly in security and cleaning. By Laura Salamanca. https://restofworld.org/2025/data-centers-jobs-microsoft-google-chile/07 Nov 2025 11:29 +0000at://did:plc:nvggmtn5ad4gh2ww2wcoafcs/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4zxyopass2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/gayathriv.bsky.social/post/3m46own352k23Jack spent years training to become a K-pop star. Crushed by the industry’s harsh beauty standards and fierce competition, he spiraled into insecurity. Now virtual reality has given him a second chance at stardom. Story by Michelle Kim in @restofworld.org https://restofworld.org/2025/metaverse-kpop-idols/27 Oct 2025 15:05 +0000at://did:plc:nvggmtn5ad4gh2ww2wcoafcs/app.bsky.feed.post/3m46own352k23https://bsky.app/profile/gayathriv.bsky.social/post/3m3pkgqlz3s2sInside Amazon’s Plans to Replace Workers With Robots As it leads the way for automation, warehousing and delivery roles could become more technical, higher paid and more scarce. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/technology/inside-amazons-plans-to-replace-workers-with-robots.html21 Oct 2025 14:34 +0000at://did:plc:nvggmtn5ad4gh2ww2wcoafcs/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3pkgqlz3s2shttps://bsky.app/profile/gayathriv.bsky.social/post/3m3peqpdxi223Japan faces a worker shortage as its population ages, and the country has been cautious about expanding immigration. Telexistence’s bots offer a workaround, allowing physical labor to be offshored. -- by Michael Beltran in @restofworld.org https://restofworld.org/2025/philippines-offshoring-automation-tech-jobs/21 Oct 2025 12:52 +0000at://did:plc:nvggmtn5ad4gh2ww2wcoafcs/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3peqpdxi223https://bsky.app/profile/gayathriv.bsky.social/post/3lyk7ozqhbk2iMeta suppressed research that might have illuminated potential safety risks to children and teens on the company’s virtual reality devices and apps. . the company deployed its legal team to screen, edit and sometimes veto internal research about youth safety https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2025/09/08/meta-research-child-safety-virtual-reality/11 Sep 2025 07:23 +0000at://did:plc:nvggmtn5ad4gh2ww2wcoafcs/app.bsky.feed.post/3lyk7ozqhbk2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/gayathriv.bsky.social/post/3lwthq7xhnk2oA hidden network handles chats for OnlyFans stars. AI could take over -- but maybe, not yet. “We keyboard smash, intentionally misspell, and use Gen Z slang. I don’t think AI is at that level of flirting yet” -- by Michael Beltran in @restofworld.org https://restofworld.org/2025/onlyfans-ai-dm-bots/20 Aug 2025 12:50 +0000at://did:plc:nvggmtn5ad4gh2ww2wcoafcs/app.bsky.feed.post/3lwthq7xhnk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/gayathriv.bsky.social/post/3lwc3mk32yk22The UAE plans to become the world’s testing ground for autonomous vehicles and upend the lives of 30,000 cabbies in the process. Amar Diwakar in @restofworld.org https://restofworld.org/2025/uae-robotaxi-cab-driver/13 Aug 2025 14:58 +0000at://did:plc:nvggmtn5ad4gh2ww2wcoafcs/app.bsky.feed.post/3lwc3mk32yk22https://bsky.app/profile/gayathriv.bsky.social/post/3lu3oallihk2tDrones, AI and robot pickers: meet the fully autonomous farm https://www.wsj.com/tech/autonomous-farming-ai-95657bd116 Jul 2025 14:53 +0000at://did:plc:nvggmtn5ad4gh2ww2wcoafcs/app.bsky.feed.post/3lu3oallihk2thttps://bsky.app/profile/gayathriv.bsky.social/post/3lpjiybrb3s2iProgress does not have to involve gobbling up all the content on the internet and hiring marginalized workers to process it - @_KarenHao, author of Empire of AI (out soon!). Here's a Q&A with @michelletomkim - https://restofworld.org/2025/karen-hao-empire-of-ai-book/19 May 2025 11:50 +0000at://did:plc:nvggmtn5ad4gh2ww2wcoafcs/app.bsky.feed.post/3lpjiybrb3s2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/gayathriv.bsky.social/post/3lolhmr56e22zEveryone Is Cheating Their Way Through College ChatGPT has unraveled the entire academic project. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/openai-chatgpt-ai-cheating-education-college-students-school.html07 May 2025 13:06 +0000at://did:plc:nvggmtn5ad4gh2ww2wcoafcs/app.bsky.feed.post/3lolhmr56e22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/gayathriv.bsky.social/post/3liorq3rg2s2bTurkey’s translators are training the AI tools that will replace them. Human fallout may include being replaced by LLMs, diminished skills, and fewer career options for all but the elite scholars. By Kaya Genc in @restofworld.org https://restofworld.org/2025/turkeys-translators-training-ai-replacements/21 Feb 2025 12:13 +0000at://did:plc:nvggmtn5ad4gh2ww2wcoafcs/app.bsky.feed.post/3liorq3rg2s2b