New AI Chatbot ‘Ask Aya’ Empowers Domestic Workers to Fight Wage Theft and Negotiate Fair Pay

Like many domestic workers, Leydy is no stranger to wage theft. In a previous job, she was hired as a cleaner but gradually took on additional responsibilities—cooking and childcare—without extra pay. When she asked her employer for either a raise or more help, she was fired and never received payment for that final week of work.

“In my rage, I went to the police,” she told Fast Company through a translator. (Leydy requested to only use her first name to avoid potential retaliation.) “They told me I had to get a lawyer and go to court in Newark. If I wasn’t getting paid, how could I pay for a lawyer?”

A new AI chatbot built by and for domestic workers could help people like Leydy find recourse when confronted with abusive employers. The National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), a nonprofit advocating for labor rights and improved working conditions for nannies, cleaners, and home care workers, has launched a multilingual chatbot called Ask Aya.

Ask Aya aims to educate domestic workers on their rights, negotiate pay with employers, and even draft employment contracts. Over the years, NDWA has tested various tech solutions to enhance outreach and solidarity among domestic workers, who often work alone and are frequently isolated in their roles.

Why Domestic Workers Need Support

These workers are overwhelmingly women of color—a significant share of whom are also undocumented—and they are excluded from federal labor protections. This exclusion leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and increases the risk of retaliation if they challenge unfair treatment.

NDWA has invested in tools to help these workers formalize their employment through written contracts and secure benefits like paid time off. During the pandemic, NDWA’s Coronavirus Care Fund provided tens of millions of dollars in cash assistance to domestic workers who suddenly lost their jobs.

Developing Ask Aya with Worker-Centered AI

When NDWA conceived of Ask Aya, the goal was to center workers in the development process to ensure AI complemented their critical on-the-ground organizing efforts.

“We did not start with a goal to harness AI and immediately apply it to our problems. We started with this problem of isolation. If it is true that domestic workers are in these high-stakes spaces and private homes and don’t have much community or support anywhere, should AI be a tool we explore to supercharge that connection and that sense of support?”

However, NDWA was cautious about AI’s potential risks, particularly for a population already susceptible to mistreatment and the negative effects of heightened automation and surveillance.

“Trust is absolutely the currency of care and organizing, so we don’t take this question lightly,” says Alistair Stephenson, chief strategy and impact officer of NDWA.

NDWA began development with these concerns in mind, ensuring robust guardrails were in place before launching Ask Aya.