Building Fair AI Supply Chains

What’s At Stake

AI systems don’t build themselves. Behind every model lies a complex supply chain of data work—annotation, enrichment, labelling, and auditing—often performed by workers in low-oversight environments across the globe.

These workers are essential, yet their labour conditions are often hidden, unregulated, and vulnerable to exploitation. As AI adoption accelerates, so does the risk of reinforcing inequality through opaque, extractive labour practices.

With new regulations like the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) on the horizon, companies are being held responsible for labour standards not just in manufacturing or agriculture, but across digital and AI-driven supply chains.

How Fairwork Can Help

Fairwork helps companies evaluate and improve labour standards in their AI supply chains.

We do this through an independent, evidence-based audit and certification model developed by the Oxford Internet Institute and WZB Berlin Social Science Center. Our approach is collaborative and designed for continuous improvement, not one-off compliance.

We assess working conditions across data work supply chains, from crowd platforms and BPOs to in-house teams and subcontracted services. Through worker interviews, policy reviews, and risk mapping, we help companies uncover gaps and build responsible practices into their operations.

Fairwork Principles & Certification Approach

Fairwork certification is built on five globally recognized principles: Fair Pay, Fair Conditions, Fair Contracts, Fair Management, and Fair Representation.

Learn More About the Principles

We use a four-phase evaluation model:

1. Discovery & Risk Assessment
   Understand your data supply chain, map risk areas, and review internal policies and practices.
2. Action Planning
   Receive clear, tailored recommendations and co-develop a remediation roadmap.
3. Implementation & Training
   Roll out ethical labour protections and train internal teams and suppliers.
4. Monitoring & Reporting
   Track progress through follow-up audits and maintain accountability over time.

We offer both a one-time audit and a full certification path, with badges recognizing firms at each stage of their commitment.

For a detailed breakdown of each phase and your engagement options, visit our Certification Pathways page.

Start Your Certification Journey

Ready to evaluate your AI supply chain?

Let’s work together to make AI supply chains fair, transparent, and resilient.

Who Can Get Certified

This certification isn’t just for AI companies. If your business relies on data—whether for training models, operating platforms, or delivering AI-powered services—this is for you.

We work with:

• AI developers and deployers
• Companies using data annotation or enrichment
• Digital platforms and marketplaces
• Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firms
• Any organization sourcing data labour, directly or through third parties

If you rely on AI, you rely on data workers, and that means you rely on a supply chain that should be fair.

The Benefits of Getting Certified

Companies pursue Fairwork certification for four key reasons:

1. Regulatory Preparedness
   Align with CS3D and global due diligence laws before compliance becomes urgent.
2. Transparency and Trust
   Show investors, partners, and customers that you prioritize ethical sourcing and worker protections.
3. Workforce Resilience
   Fair conditions lead to more stable, skilled, and reliable data labor—critical for long-term AI success.
4. Sustainable Impact
   Move beyond checkbox compliance. Our model supports ongoing improvement across your operations and supplier relationships.

Our Global Impact

Fairwork’s methodology has been applied in over 40 countries, across 712 company ratings, and through consultation with more than 7,400 workers.

We’ve helped companies implement 321 positive changes, improving the working conditions of over 1 million people in digital and AI supply chains.

Our principles are endorsed by governments, recognized by global NGOs, and grounded in ongoing academic research—making Fairwork a trusted partner for building responsible AI.