The seventh edition of the International Network on Digital Labor (INDL-7) conference, titled “Digital Labor and Power Dynamics: Present and Future of Work Scenarios,” successfully concluded in Santiago, Chile, from October 28 to 30, 2024. This landmark event marked the first time the conference was held in Latin America, bringing together scholars, practitioners, and activists from around the globe to explore the new dynamics of digital labor.
Speakers and Keynotes
Over three days, more than 150 speakers participated in 25 panels, 13 poster presentations, and 6 plenary sessions. The conference provided a vibrant platform for discussing how power relations in the digital workspace are being reconfigured through new forms of control and resistance. Topics ranged from unpaid labor on social media to platform-mediated work and the digital transformation of traditional occupations.
For the inaugural keynote speech, we had the honor of welcoming Mark Graham (University of Oxford, UK), who presented his worldwide action-research project Fairwork (see video).
Ludmila Abilio (University of Campinas, Brazil) who shared her research on uberization as a global trend; Julieta Haidar (University of Buenos Aires, Argentina) offered a critical analysis of platform business models (see video).
A special session was dedicated to the Data Worker Inquiry, a new initiative launched by Milagros Miceli (Weizenbaum Institute, Germany). This session brought together researchers and data workers to document the working conditions of content moderators, AI data annotators, and other platofmr workers. Antonio Casilli (Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France) delivered a talk on class consciousness of digital workers and indigenous knowledge in Latin America (see video). The conference concluded with a colorful and powerful talk by Rafael Grohmann (University of Toronto, Canada), who explored platform and AI governance by workers.
Looking Ahead to INDL-8
The enthusiasm and collaborative spirit at INDL-7 have set a high bar for future gatherings. The organizers are excited to announce that the eighth edition of the INDL conference will take place from September 10 to 12, 2025, at the University of Bologna, Italy. This upcoming event promises to continue the vital conversations and expand on the groundwork laid in Santiago.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the participants, speakers, and organizers (especially Antonio Stecher, Alan Valenzuela, Magdalena Moreno, and Diego Rivera) who made INDL-7 a resounding success. The conference not only provided a space for critical discourse but also fostered promising connections among professionals dedicated to understanding and shaping the research on digital labor.
To stay updated on future events and initiatives, visit the International Network on Digital Labor website and follow their social media channels.