Virudhunagar, located in southeastern India, is known for its ancient temples but is also becoming a center for modern technology, specifically artificial intelligence (AI) development. One of the local workers, Mohan Kumar, is involved in AI annotation, where he collects data, labels it, and helps train AI models to recognize and predict objects. He notes that the professional environment is similar between small towns and larger cities, as they serve the same global clients.
The trend of relocating IT work to more remote areas, known as cloud farming, has been facilitated by advancements in AI. Firms are increasingly setting up operations in smaller towns like Virudhunagar to take advantage of lower costs for staff and facilities. Kumar works for Desicrew, which has been a pioneer in this approach since its establishment in 2005. The company’s CEO, Mannivannan J K, emphasizes the importance of creating opportunities in rural areas, asserting that quality work can be achieved from locations outside urban centers.
Desicrew undertakes various projects, including AI training and content moderation, with AI-related tasks expected to comprise a larger portion of their work in the near future. Meanwhile, NextWealth, a company founded in 2008, is also making strides in cloud farming, employing around 5,000 staff in smaller towns across India. Co-founder Mythily Ramesh highlights the potential in these locations, advocating for the inclusion of talents from small towns who have largely been overlooked by traditional IT firms.
Despite the optimistic outlook, challenges remain. KS Viswanathan, a technology advisor, points out that while some smaller towns have secure data access, reliable internet connections can be inconsistent. Trust also poses an issue, as international clients often doubt security standards in rural areas.
As companies like Desicrew and NextWealth continue their operations, the impact of AI work on the local workforce, particularly women, is evident, fostering new economic opportunities.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqjevxvxw9xo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss