• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

U.S. debt is even worse than it seems, and rising Treasury yields are now an 'all-hands-on-deck situation,' top economist warns

2

China's export shock is pushing the global economy to a breaking point, and the U.S. may have to clean up the mess, former trade official says

3

Kevin O'Leary says if you earn $68,000 a year and follow this rule, you'll retire a millionaire

1

U.S. debt is even worse than it seems, and rising Treasury yields are now an 'all-hands-on-deck situation,' top economist warns

2

China's export shock is pushing the global economy to a breaking point, and the U.S. may have to clean up the mess, former trade official says

3

Kevin O'Leary says if you earn $68,000 a year and follow this rule, you'll retire a millionaire
AI

Finland Is Using Inmates to Help a Start-Up Train Its Artificial Intelligence Algorithms

By
Alyssa Newcomb
Alyssa Newcomb
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Alyssa Newcomb
Alyssa Newcomb
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 28, 2019, 5:46 PM ET
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Here’s one prison job you won’t find on Orange Is the New Black.

Inmates in Finland are working to train artificial intelligence algorithms as part of their prison work. There are 10 workstations between the prisons in Helsinki and Turku, a town located two hours northwest of the Finnish capitol, according to a blog post from Finland’s Criminal Sanctions Agency.

“The Criminal Sanctions Agency has been constantly developing prison work, focusing on the rehabilitative aspect of the work and on training prisoners in the skills needed in future working life,” the agency said in the blog post.

The data the inmates are helping to classify is for a company called Vainu, which is creating a global database to help companies find contractors, according to a report from The Verge. A typical work day involves reviewing pieces of content collected from social media and around the Internet.

“The prisoners participating in the work activities answer simple questions such as: ‘Does this article talk about a business acquisition?’ The same question is repeated several times for different people, which produces high-quality material for training Vainu’s artificial intelligence,” the Criminal Sanctions Agency website said.

The work is supposed to benefit Vainu, while also providing prisoners with new job-related skills that could help them successfully re-enter society after they serve their sentences.

Finland has a track record of taking a progressive approach when it comes to experimenting with new ideas for the betterment of society. The country previously tested universal basic income payments to a group of randomly selected, unemployed citizens. The recipients, who were between the ages of 25 and 58, received about $690 per month to help them with their employment. The end of the experiment was announced last year, however the government has plans to check in on the recipients ten years from now to learn about any potential long-term effects of the program.

About the Author
By Alyssa Newcomb
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.