INDL (International Network on Digital Labor), the international branch of ENDL (European Network on Digital Labour), held its first conference “Micro-work platforms: a challenge for artificial intelligence, a challenge for employment?”. The event, organized in collaboration with the French government agency France Stratégie and the research center MSH Paris Saclay, took place on June 13 and 14, 2019 in Paris. The conference was attended by approximately 300 participants: academics, workers, students, trade unionists, policymakers, journalists and citizens.

The program
Download the conference program (pdf)
Day 1 focused on “policy perspectives”. Platform workers voiced their experiences and views in the session “Meet the micro-workers”. Companies and platforms that recruit them discussed their workflow and business models.
INDL participants Paola Tubaro (French Center for Scientific Research), Vili Lehdonvirta (Oxford Internet Institute), Florian Schmidt (University of Applied Sciences HTW Dresden), Anoush Margaryan (Copenhagen Business School), Mariya Aleksynska (Institute of Labor Economics), Patricia Vendramin (UCLouvain), Antonio Casilli (Paris School of Telecommunications) presented the results of national and international surveys on these emerging forms of labor.

Day 2 “academic perspectives” was devoted to a doctoral symposium organized by Julian Posada (University of Toronto) and facilitated by Adam Badger (Royal Holloway), Jen Schradie (Sciences Po Paris), Sébastien Broca (Paris 8 University), where PhD students presented their ongoing research in the field of digital platforms. In the afternoon, Alessandro Delfanti (University of Toronto) chaired a session featuring Ulrich Laitenberger (Paris School of Telecommunications), Johan Lindquist (University of Stockholm), Anoush Margaryan (Copenhagen Business School) and Niels van Doorn (University of Amsterdam).
Florian Schmidt (HTW Dresden) concluded the conference with the keynote speech “The Design of Crowdsourcing: development of an (almost) academic perspective on microwork”.

Podcasts
» Introduction and first session of day 1 “Why microwork matters ? Artificial intelligence, science and markets” (Eng/Fr).
Speakers: Gilles de Margerie (France Stratégie), André Torre (MSH Paris Saclay), Vili Lehdonvirta (Oxford Internet Institute), Florian Alexander Schmidt (University of Applied Sciences HTW Dresden), Antonio Casilli (Paris School of Telecommunications).
» Second session of day 1 “Microworking in France” (Eng/Fr).
Paola Tubaro (CNRS), Clément Le Ludec (MSH Paris Saclay), Marion Coville (IAE de Poitiers), Louis-Charles Viossat (IGAS), Anoush Margaryan (Copenhagen Business School), Antoine Naboulet (France Stratégie).
» Third session of day 1 “Meet the microworkers” (Fr).
Amélie, Ferdinand, Julie (microworkers), Daniel Benoilid (Foulefactory), Maël Primet (Snips), Odile Chagny (Sharers & Workers).
» Fourth session of day 1 “Platform, microwork and employment: global perspectives” (Eng/Fr).
Speakers: Mariya Aleksynska (IZA Institute of Labor Economics), Marguerita Lane (OECD), Thiebaut Weber (CES), Patricia Vendramin (UCLouvain), Gilles Babinet (French Digital Council), Cécile Jolly (France Stratégie).