The Other Gen Z: Artificial Intelligence and the Transformative Labor of the Working-Class in the Political Buzzer Industry

Poster Abstract: Recent scholarship on political influence operations has predominantly centered on patterns of computational propaganda, operational structures, and comparative analyses. Yet, there remains a gap in acknowledging the human dimensions underlying these operations. This research delves into the transformative labor of political buzzing in Indonesia, including the role of artificial intelligence as means for socio-economic mobility among working-class youth.

Drawing from ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2023, this research interrogates the significance of this underground economy for the marginalized young blue-collar laborers involved. These underprivileged youth reframes their position, who are often overshadowed by mainstream narratives that pigeonhole 'gen Z' as educated, middle-class urbanites engaged in the creative sector. They harness their labor in political influence as a means of empowerment. This shift, from manual "muscle work" (kerja otot) to intellectual "brain work" (kerja otak), enables them to assert a parity with their more affluent counterparts. Capitalizing on skills acquired and the connections (koneksi) established with political and economic elites, they leverage their experience for upward mobility.

This research additionally explores the transformation of the buzzing landscape post the 2019 Election and in the wake of the post-Covid economies. Once dominated by middle class political volunteers, the "partisan class," there emerges a new inclusion of working-class workers in political buzzing. Moving beyond technodeterministic perspectives, I argue that addressing the challenges posed by influence operations necessitates an intersectional understanding of its deep-seated connections to the precarious job market and the elitist modalities of political engagement in post-authoritarian Indonesia.