Sama

Sama is a San Francisco-based impact-sourcing company that provides data labeling and content moderation services for AI systems, with operations in Kenya and other developing regions. The company gained significant attention in 2023 when reports revealed that Kenyan workers employed by Sama were paid approximately $1.32–$2 per hour to label toxic content used in training OpenAI's ChatGPT and other large language models. Sama frames its work as creating economic opportunity in underserved communities while supporting AI safety, though the low wages and exposure to disturbing content sparked criticism from labor advocates and ethicists. The company has also worked on data annotation projects for other AI companies and has positioned itself at the intersection of AI development and global development impact.