Impact of AI and Digital Technologies on Gig Workers

This completed project studied how AI and digital technologies are reshaping the lives of blue-collar gig workers in India. The report The Algorithmic-Human Boss: AI, Apps, and Workers in the Indian Gig Economy examines the “dual reality” of platform work: AI-enabled apps expand access to income and employment, but also raise serious concerns about dignity, fairness, and control.

Using a mixed-methods approach grounded in a social justice framework, the study combined secondary research with interviews of gig workers in Delhi–NCR and Bengaluru, and consultations with platform executives, industry leaders, worker unions, and civil society organisations. The project produced a published report and an academic paper, contributing evidence and insights to policy and regulatory discussions on AI, labour, and platform governance in India.