The &Wider Podcast

Who's really behind the AI models powering our world?

In this 3rd episode of our series on human rights in AI land, Lea Esterhuizen (CEO, &Wider) and Peter Suasso (Founder, BlueSpar) pull back the curtain on the invisible workforce that makes AI possible, data annotators, content moderators, and gig workers operating in the shadows of the technology industry.

They explore the hidden human rights risks in AI design and deployment, from exploitative pay structures and opaque algorithms to the psychological toll on content moderators and the systemic bias that silences entire communities. They also tackle the bigger picture, job displacement, regulatory gaps, and what responsible AI adoption actually looks like for businesses today.

If you source, use, or invest in AI-powered tools, this conversation is for you.

In Episode 2 of our Human Rights in AI series, Lea Esterhuizen and Peter Suasso (Bluespar) unpack the three supply chains behind AI and data centres: building materials, infrastructure and equipment, and utilities. They explore why each carries its own human rights risks, and why prioritisation is essential.

This conversation goes deep into risk assessment, risk prediction, and scalable due diligence. Lea and Pete discuss how tools like RAPT help teams compare suppliers and products, identify where deeper investigation is needed, and support smarter procurement decisions.

They also explore how worker engagement tools keep a finger on the pulse between audits, and how companies can build mature, cost-effective due diligence systems that create real visibility where it matters most.

A practical, grounded episode for teams navigating human rights risk in fast-growing AI supply chains.

Welcome back to the &Wider Podcast! We’re kicking off a new series exploring the human rights realities behind the technologies shaping our world, starting with AI.

This episode explores the physical side of AI: data centres, metals, construction, and the people powering it all. &Wider’s Lea Esterhuizen talks with sustainability expert Peter Suasso about worker impacts, community engagement, subcontracting risks, discrimination on construction sites, and why continuous worker-voice monitoring matters. Ideal for supply chain leaders, sustainability teams, and anyone navigating responsible AI.

What role does collaboration play when it comes to remediation and what is the single biggest priority when it comes to preparing for remediation? On this episode, we are joined by Shawn McDonald, the Chief Executive Officer of Verite, to discuss all these questions and more issues in relation to remediation in human rights due diligence.

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Find out more about the Verite:

https://verite.org/

Keep up to date with &Wider: 

Website:  www.andwider.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/andwider

#BusinessHumanRights #humanrights #humanrightsduediligence #duediligence

Earlier this year, there were revelations on the burden of travel costs and the exorbitant recruitment fees imposed on migrant seasonal labourers working on UK farms. In this episode, we talk with Managing Director Kenton Harmer from the Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) to discuss their experience in identifying and addressing the challenge of recruitment fees and responsible recruitment practices affecting migrant farm workers in the US and Canada.

Find out more about the EFI

https://equitablefood.org

Find out more about &Wider

https://www.andwider.com

On this episode, we are joined by Madeleine Koalick, the co-founder and director of Sustainable Links to discuss the German supply chains law and how meaningful stakeholder engagement can make human rights due diligence more impactful.

Keep up to date with &Wider:

Website:  www.andwider.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/andwider

On this episode we are joined by Colleen Theron, the founder of Ardea International to discuss the new measures based on the OECD Guidelines which require brands to go beyond adopting codes of conduct and rolling out compliance measures such as social audits along global supply chains, to demanding that brands address what they find during their due diligence assessments. What does this look like in practice?

Keep up to date with &Wider:

Website:  www.andwider.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/andwider

What tools are available to begin embedding due diligence in global supply sites, and how can worker engagement systems facilitate the inclusion of workers? On this special episode of the &Wider podcast, we speak to Technical Manager Annel Pretorius about the supportive role she plays in helping suppliers embed mobile worker engagement systems in their workforce.

How does public data fit into your due diligence process? Because of the digital revolution, there has been an incredible proliferation of public data in recent years. It can be difficult to keep up with the huge amounts available online, and even more difficult to know its immense value in contributing to your responsible sourcing and supply chain monitoring. We chat with Sayari about the power of public data and the insight it can give you about the places and people you are doing business with.

Check out Sayari https://bit.ly/3lKn6vQ 

Check out &Wider www.andwider.com

This is part two of the conversation we had last week with the Sustainable Links consultancy. Today we talk about how to drum up excitement about due diligence, the due diligence tools available and how to integrate those tools with each other and with the broader strategy, and whether visionary leadership is necessary in recruiting motivation for addressing supply chain issues. 

Check out Sustainable Links en.sustainablelinks.de

Check out &Wider www.andwider.com