September 12, 2023
Inmates in three Finnish prisons are now training artificial intelligence (AI) models for construction companies. The program, which is run by the Finnish startup Metroc, allows inmates to earn money by answering questions about real estate and construction projects.
The program is designed to help Metroc’s AI models better understand the language of the construction industry. This is important because the company’s search engine helps construction companies find new projects.
The inmates who participate in the program are paid €1.54 ($1.67) per hour. They work in three-hour shifts, and there are no targets or quotas.
The program has been met with mixed reactions. Some people believe that it is a good way to give inmates skills that they can use after they are released from prison. Others argue that it is exploitative and that inmates should not be used as cheap labor.
The Finnish prison system says that the program is voluntary and that inmates are not forced to participate. The system also says that the program helps to prepare inmates for the digital world of work.
Metroc says that the program has been successful and that it has helped to improve the accuracy of its AI models. The company plans to expand the program to other prisons in Finland.
The sources for this piece include an article in Wired.
