Marché Arends
@marche.bsky.social
Investigative Journalist 🇿🇦
2025 Pulitzer Center AI Accountabilty Fellow
Read my work here: www.marchearends.com
2025 Pulitzer Center AI Accountabilty Fellow
Read my work here: www.marchearends.com
Pinned
Marché Arends
@marche.bsky.social
· Aug 27
africauncensored.online
Yesterday, our investigation dropped in Africa Uncensored about how human labour from the Global South is being leveraged by Big Tech as collateral in a gambling game of epic proportions.
How? Through the mass recruitment of 'AI Trainers' or 'AI Tutors'.
🧵
africauncensored.online/blog/2025/08...
How? Through the mass recruitment of 'AI Trainers' or 'AI Tutors'.
🧵
africauncensored.online/blog/2025/08...
I feel like everyone is under some kind of bullshit spell that makes them believe in (and defend) AGI.
AGI ISN'T REAL AND CHASING IT IS CAUSING IMMEASURABLE HARM.
Please, I beg of you, stop waiting for a unicorn. And also, for those who haven't heard: Santa isn't real either. 🙄
Ugh, I'm tired 🤦♀️
AGI ISN'T REAL AND CHASING IT IS CAUSING IMMEASURABLE HARM.
Please, I beg of you, stop waiting for a unicorn. And also, for those who haven't heard: Santa isn't real either. 🙄
Ugh, I'm tired 🤦♀️
November 12, 2025 at 10:00 AM
I feel like everyone is under some kind of bullshit spell that makes them believe in (and defend) AGI.
AGI ISN'T REAL AND CHASING IT IS CAUSING IMMEASURABLE HARM.
Please, I beg of you, stop waiting for a unicorn. And also, for those who haven't heard: Santa isn't real either. 🙄
Ugh, I'm tired 🤦♀️
AGI ISN'T REAL AND CHASING IT IS CAUSING IMMEASURABLE HARM.
Please, I beg of you, stop waiting for a unicorn. And also, for those who haven't heard: Santa isn't real either. 🙄
Ugh, I'm tired 🤦♀️
Reposted by Marché Arends
This week’s Top 10 Data Journalism column highlights, curated by Hanna Duggal for GIJN 🧵👇
Full story:
Full story:
gijn.org
Where Plane Crash Survivors Sit, African Labor Fueling AI Hype, DOGE Guts US Health Agency, Syria’s Most Feared Prison
twp.ai
September 5, 2025 at 8:18 PM
This week’s Top 10 Data Journalism column highlights, curated by Hanna Duggal for GIJN 🧵👇
Full story:
Full story:
Thanks @gijn.org and Hannah Duggal for including our story in this week's Top 10 Data Journalism column!
Africa Uncensored exposes how companies hire thousands as AI 'tutors' to train large language model responses (LLMs) — not to sustain livelihoods, but to look scalable to investors. In South Africa, many workers had no steady income despite the hype.
https://twp.ai/kuqEIn @marche.bsky.social
https://twp.ai/kuqEIn @marche.bsky.social
September 6, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Thanks @gijn.org and Hannah Duggal for including our story in this week's Top 10 Data Journalism column!
Reposted by Marché Arends
Thousands of workers promised digital jobs are being used as collateral in Big Tech’s race to build “super-intelligent AI.”
AI Fellows @marche.bsky.social and Kathryn Cleary reveal how workers are lured into jobs with no pay and no work.
Story for Africa Uncensored.
👉 bit.ly/4ncZ7lQ
AI Fellows @marche.bsky.social and Kathryn Cleary reveal how workers are lured into jobs with no pay and no work.
Story for Africa Uncensored.
👉 bit.ly/4ncZ7lQ
Fuelling the AGI Hype: The Recruitment Playbook To Land Big Tech Contracts
On the surface, the South African job market looks busy; scrolling through jobs on LinkedIn reveals hundreds, sometimes thousands, of job postings for “AI tutors” or “AI trainers” from micro-tasking.....
pulitzercenter.org
September 2, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Thousands of workers promised digital jobs are being used as collateral in Big Tech’s race to build “super-intelligent AI.”
AI Fellows @marche.bsky.social and Kathryn Cleary reveal how workers are lured into jobs with no pay and no work.
Story for Africa Uncensored.
👉 bit.ly/4ncZ7lQ
AI Fellows @marche.bsky.social and Kathryn Cleary reveal how workers are lured into jobs with no pay and no work.
Story for Africa Uncensored.
👉 bit.ly/4ncZ7lQ
Reposted by Marché Arends
“Our investigation reveals that despite thousands of job postings, these companies offer no promise of work, but instead leverage digital workers as collateral to win Big Tech contracts.“
Today, the investigation my reporting partner Kathryn Cleary and I have been working on for over a year is finally out in Africa Uncensored!
africauncensored.online/blog/2025/08...
africauncensored.online/blog/2025/08...
Fuelling the AGI hype: The Recruitment Playbook to land Big Tech contracts - Africa Uncensored
An investigation into the mass recruitment of "AI Tutors" and "AI Trainers" by micro-tasking companies reveals the deceptive and exploitative practices that these companies use, with false promises of...
africauncensored.online
August 27, 2025 at 11:58 AM
“Our investigation reveals that despite thousands of job postings, these companies offer no promise of work, but instead leverage digital workers as collateral to win Big Tech contracts.“
Reposted by Marché Arends
"We employ the unemployable so be grateful you have a job." Great work by @marche.bsky.social on the hype behind "AI trainers"
africauncensored.online/blog/2025/08...
africauncensored.online/blog/2025/08...
Fuelling the AGI hype: The Recruitment Playbook to land Big Tech contracts - Africa Uncensored
An investigation into the mass recruitment of "AI Tutors" and "AI Trainers" by micro-tasking companies reveals the deceptive and exploitative practices that these companies use, with false promises of...
africauncensored.online
August 27, 2025 at 9:07 AM
"We employ the unemployable so be grateful you have a job." Great work by @marche.bsky.social on the hype behind "AI trainers"
africauncensored.online/blog/2025/08...
africauncensored.online/blog/2025/08...
Yesterday, our investigation dropped in Africa Uncensored about how human labour from the Global South is being leveraged by Big Tech as collateral in a gambling game of epic proportions.
How? Through the mass recruitment of 'AI Trainers' or 'AI Tutors'.
🧵
africauncensored.online/blog/2025/08...
How? Through the mass recruitment of 'AI Trainers' or 'AI Tutors'.
🧵
africauncensored.online/blog/2025/08...
africauncensored.online
August 27, 2025 at 8:06 AM
Yesterday, our investigation dropped in Africa Uncensored about how human labour from the Global South is being leveraged by Big Tech as collateral in a gambling game of epic proportions.
How? Through the mass recruitment of 'AI Trainers' or 'AI Tutors'.
🧵
africauncensored.online/blog/2025/08...
How? Through the mass recruitment of 'AI Trainers' or 'AI Tutors'.
🧵
africauncensored.online/blog/2025/08...
Today, the investigation my reporting partner Kathryn Cleary and I have been working on for over a year is finally out in Africa Uncensored!
africauncensored.online/blog/2025/08...
africauncensored.online/blog/2025/08...
Fuelling the AGI hype: The Recruitment Playbook to land Big Tech contracts - Africa Uncensored
An investigation into the mass recruitment of "AI Tutors" and "AI Trainers" by micro-tasking companies reveals the deceptive and exploitative practices that these companies use, with false promises of...
africauncensored.online
August 26, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Today, the investigation my reporting partner Kathryn Cleary and I have been working on for over a year is finally out in Africa Uncensored!
africauncensored.online/blog/2025/08...
africauncensored.online/blog/2025/08...
Any other neurodivergent peeps with strong pattern recognition and a pretty good general knowledge of world history freaking out right now?
February 23, 2025 at 6:29 AM
Any other neurodivergent peeps with strong pattern recognition and a pretty good general knowledge of world history freaking out right now?
Reposted by Marché Arends
All Protocol Observed
Welcome to Issue 191 of The Continent
The Sudanese army is closing in on the Republican Palace in Khartoum – but the war is far from over.
Get your copy, for free, here: bit.ly/TC191
Welcome to Issue 191 of The Continent
The Sudanese army is closing in on the Republican Palace in Khartoum – but the war is far from over.
Get your copy, for free, here: bit.ly/TC191
February 21, 2025 at 8:50 PM
All Protocol Observed
Welcome to Issue 191 of The Continent
The Sudanese army is closing in on the Republican Palace in Khartoum – but the war is far from over.
Get your copy, for free, here: bit.ly/TC191
Welcome to Issue 191 of The Continent
The Sudanese army is closing in on the Republican Palace in Khartoum – but the war is far from over.
Get your copy, for free, here: bit.ly/TC191
Reposted by Marché Arends
Definitely! See this 🧵 for links.
Experts @timnitgebru.bsky.social & @xriskology.bsky.social have talked about TESCREAL for years.
Here's a quick explainer from Dr. Torres: www.truthdig.com/articles/the...
Plus a YouTube of TESCREAL ideas in tech billionaires' own words:
youtu.be/5RpPTRcz1no?...
Experts @timnitgebru.bsky.social & @xriskology.bsky.social have talked about TESCREAL for years.
Here's a quick explainer from Dr. Torres: www.truthdig.com/articles/the...
Plus a YouTube of TESCREAL ideas in tech billionaires' own words:
youtu.be/5RpPTRcz1no?...
I think we need to be talking about TESCREAL more...
Spoiler: Eugenics is back. 🧵
Spoiler: Eugenics is back. 🧵
February 18, 2025 at 2:29 AM
Definitely! See this 🧵 for links.
Experts @timnitgebru.bsky.social & @xriskology.bsky.social have talked about TESCREAL for years.
Here's a quick explainer from Dr. Torres: www.truthdig.com/articles/the...
Plus a YouTube of TESCREAL ideas in tech billionaires' own words:
youtu.be/5RpPTRcz1no?...
Experts @timnitgebru.bsky.social & @xriskology.bsky.social have talked about TESCREAL for years.
Here's a quick explainer from Dr. Torres: www.truthdig.com/articles/the...
Plus a YouTube of TESCREAL ideas in tech billionaires' own words:
youtu.be/5RpPTRcz1no?...
Trump is that creepy dude in the club who thinks eye contact is an invitation for harassment. He and my country (South Africa) are currently in a staring contest.
So now feels like an appropriate time to read Project 2025 because that shit affects us all.
A living 🧵
#Project2025CribNotes
So now feels like an appropriate time to read Project 2025 because that shit affects us all.
A living 🧵
#Project2025CribNotes
February 14, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Trump is that creepy dude in the club who thinks eye contact is an invitation for harassment. He and my country (South Africa) are currently in a staring contest.
So now feels like an appropriate time to read Project 2025 because that shit affects us all.
A living 🧵
#Project2025CribNotes
So now feels like an appropriate time to read Project 2025 because that shit affects us all.
A living 🧵
#Project2025CribNotes
I think we need to be talking about TESCREAL more...
Spoiler: Eugenics is back. 🧵
Spoiler: Eugenics is back. 🧵
February 13, 2025 at 8:10 PM
I think we need to be talking about TESCREAL more...
Spoiler: Eugenics is back. 🧵
Spoiler: Eugenics is back. 🧵
Yep 👇
I have a ton of apocalypse skills 🥹
I'm a Black woman who lives in Zimbabwe
I'm a Black woman who lives in Zimbabwe
Repost with your apocalypse skill
I’m a lifetime project manager with a farming background. So I can make a plan and milk the goats.
I’m a lifetime project manager with a farming background. So I can make a plan and milk the goats.
February 9, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Yep 👇
Anyone else think it's weird that Trump can suddenly string a sentence together (low bar) and no one is talking about 'word salad' anymore? Or is it just me?
February 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Anyone else think it's weird that Trump can suddenly string a sentence together (low bar) and no one is talking about 'word salad' anymore? Or is it just me?
Reposted by Marché Arends
Happy Black History Month. Listen to, support, fund, and uplift Black people. #BHM #BlackHistoryMonth
Black journos: go.bsky.app/QvS5FNb
Black scientists: go.bsky.app/Ao3Qt9a
Black academics: go.bsky.app/RyKSzcb
Black democracy experts: go.bsky.app/6WTBzhX
Black in tech: go.bsky.app/2RAbS3g
Black journos: go.bsky.app/QvS5FNb
Black scientists: go.bsky.app/Ao3Qt9a
Black academics: go.bsky.app/RyKSzcb
Black democracy experts: go.bsky.app/6WTBzhX
Black in tech: go.bsky.app/2RAbS3g
February 1, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Happy Black History Month. Listen to, support, fund, and uplift Black people. #BHM #BlackHistoryMonth
Black journos: go.bsky.app/QvS5FNb
Black scientists: go.bsky.app/Ao3Qt9a
Black academics: go.bsky.app/RyKSzcb
Black democracy experts: go.bsky.app/6WTBzhX
Black in tech: go.bsky.app/2RAbS3g
Black journos: go.bsky.app/QvS5FNb
Black scientists: go.bsky.app/Ao3Qt9a
Black academics: go.bsky.app/RyKSzcb
Black democracy experts: go.bsky.app/6WTBzhX
Black in tech: go.bsky.app/2RAbS3g
Reposted by Marché Arends
Our contributors did it scared. They stayed inside Goma, doing journalism, as the city fell to M23.
All Protocol Observed
Welcome to Issue 188 of The Continent
Goma has fallen. Rwanda-backed rebels are aiming for more land and more resources. Hear from the people living in Goma.
Get your copy of this week's issue here: bit.ly/TC188
Welcome to Issue 188 of The Continent
Goma has fallen. Rwanda-backed rebels are aiming for more land and more resources. Hear from the people living in Goma.
Get your copy of this week's issue here: bit.ly/TC188
February 2, 2025 at 6:56 AM
Our contributors did it scared. They stayed inside Goma, doing journalism, as the city fell to M23.
Reposted by Marché Arends
My stock image website is guaranteed AI-free, size inclusize, pays a living wage to creators and focuses on marginalized bodies:
www.bodyliberationstock.com
www.bodyliberationstock.com
January 29, 2025 at 9:19 PM
My stock image website is guaranteed AI-free, size inclusize, pays a living wage to creators and focuses on marginalized bodies:
www.bodyliberationstock.com
www.bodyliberationstock.com
A good headline hits different 💯
OpenAI furious DeepSeek might have stolen all the data OpenAI stole from us
🔗 www.404media.co/openai-furio...
🔗 www.404media.co/openai-furio...
January 29, 2025 at 5:47 PM
A good headline hits different 💯
Community is an act of resistance. Let's build, shall we?
January 29, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Community is an act of resistance. Let's build, shall we?
I'm building a starter pack of journalists based in South Africa covering the Majority World.
Please tag anyone you think should be on this list!
go.bsky.app/2qrmSqu
Please tag anyone you think should be on this list!
go.bsky.app/2qrmSqu
South Africa Journalists
Join the conversation
go.bsky.app
January 29, 2025 at 6:29 AM
I'm building a starter pack of journalists based in South Africa covering the Majority World.
Please tag anyone you think should be on this list!
go.bsky.app/2qrmSqu
Please tag anyone you think should be on this list!
go.bsky.app/2qrmSqu
Reposted by Marché Arends
🧵 1/13 After decades of living and working in conflict zones, I need to share something crucial about what happens when governance systems collapse. This isn't abstract - it's a reality I've lived firsthand. Today is what they mean by to "hasten the collapse" (accelerationism 101).
January 28, 2025 at 7:54 PM
🧵 1/13 After decades of living and working in conflict zones, I need to share something crucial about what happens when governance systems collapse. This isn't abstract - it's a reality I've lived firsthand. Today is what they mean by to "hasten the collapse" (accelerationism 101).
Reposted by Marché Arends
As someone who has reported on AI for 7 years and covered China tech as well, I think the biggest lesson to be drawn from DeepSeek is the huge cracks it illustrates with the current dominant paradigm of AI development. A long thread. 1/
January 27, 2025 at 2:12 PM
As someone who has reported on AI for 7 years and covered China tech as well, I think the biggest lesson to be drawn from DeepSeek is the huge cracks it illustrates with the current dominant paradigm of AI development. A long thread. 1/
Reposted by Marché Arends
Roger Hallam is serving a five-year sentence for advocating direct action during a videoconference. It hasn’t stopped him.
newrepublic.com/article/1904...
newrepublic.com/article/1904...
This Climate Activist Has a Plan to Defeat Trumpism. He’s in Prison.
Roger Hallam is serving a five-year sentence for advocating direct action during a videoconference. It hasn’t stopped him.
newrepublic.com
January 28, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Roger Hallam is serving a five-year sentence for advocating direct action during a videoconference. It hasn’t stopped him.
newrepublic.com/article/1904...
newrepublic.com/article/1904...
Reposted by Marché Arends
2/ @mccra-essex.bsky.social, @poorvak.bsky.social, @tigrayan.bsky.social, @john.africandefence.net, @alexkuria.bsky.social, @soerenbendixen.bsky.social, @natedfallen.bsky.social, @briticoyemo.bsky.social, @owlarcana.bsky.social, @marche.bsky.social, @seitzramona.bsky.social, @philipobaji.bsky.social
December 3, 2024 at 6:42 PM
2/ @mccra-essex.bsky.social, @poorvak.bsky.social, @tigrayan.bsky.social, @john.africandefence.net, @alexkuria.bsky.social, @soerenbendixen.bsky.social, @natedfallen.bsky.social, @briticoyemo.bsky.social, @owlarcana.bsky.social, @marche.bsky.social, @seitzramona.bsky.social, @philipobaji.bsky.social