Analysis
podcast
A pilot series examining the intersection of tech and work
A timely show examining how algorithms, apps, and automation are reshaping the day-to-day experiences of working people.
Big Lake Data Founder Matt Schumwinger and Co-Host Alex Eckhart explore how algorithms, apps, and automation are reshaping the day-to-day experiences of working people.
iPhone vs. Android: Is Uber's Algorithm Pricing You Differently? – Ep 3
A viral video in India sparked an investigation: Were Uber and Ola charging iPhone users more than Android users? As officials probe consumer price discrimination, Alex and Matt ask the next logical question: What’s happening on the worker side of the app?
In this episode, they unpack how Uber’s complex algorithms might be using parameters like phone type, car model, or even ride acceptance history to shape wages, without explaining to drivers the math behind their wages. From the murky mechanics of “black box” pricing to the unequal power of information in platform work, they explore how small, invisible variables can lead to big differences in pay.
Is this just algorithmic efficiency, or something more troubling?
Listen here:
Episode 2 - Tipping Point: How DoorDash Workers Sparked a $17M Reckoning
DoorDash just settled for $16.75 million over allegations it used customer tips to subsidize driver pay, but is that enough to change the game? In this episode, Alex and Matt unpack what really drove this payout, and why it wasn’t an algorithm audit that made the difference — it was workers organizing.
From grassroots action to policy pressure, they explore how tech-powered gig work isolates individuals — and how breaking that isolation is the first step toward accountability.
Tune in as they ask: What does real transparency look like in the platform economy? And how do you turn individual frustration into collective power?
Listen here:
Episode 1 - Beyond Rides: How Uber’s AI Labeling is Reshaping Work
In this episode, Matt and Alex explore how the company has expanded into AI data labeling, a hidden yet essential task that powers machine learning models. But behind this expansion lies a deeper story of algorithmic wage discrimination, opaque labor conditions, and the growing influence of tech companies on gig work.
Tune in as they dissect the intersection of AI, automation, and worker rights in the
platform economy.
Listen here:
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Our Data-Driven Analyses and Insights
8/15/24