Working objectification 2.0: A theoretical analysis of datafication’s impact on labor in the next future

The previous industrial revolutions have profoundly changed the world we live in, bringing prosperity but also affecting workers’ well-being. Today, the advent of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence has enabled what scholars call datafication, and experts posit that these technologies will reduce inequalities and make work effortless. However, other authors have opposite positions. In the present theoretical work, modern forms of labor, increasingly relying on data analysis, are interpreted through the framework of objectification. Integrating different disciplinary perspectives, we propose that workers can be seen as raw material from which to extract information, leading to the rise of Digital Taylorism. Therefore, it is necessary to question the psychological costs of adopting these technologies in the workplace: will workers feel more like data than persons? The present paper attempts to answer this question, anticipating the consequences of a digital revolution that is changing work environments and providing insights for future research.