Humanizing the Posthuman in Ecuador

This chapter examines platform labor in Ecuador and explores the mechanisms workers use to challenge platforms power through various means. The influence of technology in this context can lead to issues such as social control, exploitation, and disempowerment, as workers contend with automation and surveillance enabled by AI. This sociotechnical context allows the emergence of a posthuman condition underscoring the diminishing control humans have in the face of advancing technology. Platforms leverage tools like big data and corporate AI to exert significant control over workers, shaping and overseeing work processes extensively. Despite the reinforcement of inequalities through discriminatory algorithms, platform labor also offers avenues for progressive change, fostering alliances between humans and non-humans. Through interviews and ethnographic research spanning from 2020 to 2023, the chapter illuminates how platform algorithms function as collaborative entities with workers, akin to traditional workplace dynamics. It emphasizes the continued reliance on human labor by platforms and the efforts made by workers to comprehend platform intricacies through shared platforms like WhatsApp. By deciphering platform complexities, workers can enhance their performance, navigate limitations, and mitigate penalties imposed by algorithmic management systems.