Cupertino's fifth episode, "Celeste," examines the exploitation of gig workers training AI systems. The law firm Price, Siffre, & Associates takes on a class action lawsuit against WorkSource, an AI company whose young billionaire CEO brags about underpaying employees.
Olivia recruits her friend Celeste, an unemployed single mother, as the lawsuit's plaintiff. Celeste works as an independent contractor for WorkSource, training its AI to recognize objects and describe sensations. She completes 980 trainings for $500 and loses 1 cent per mistake. When she joins the lawsuit, WorkSource fires her.
A bribe claim from WorkSource's lawyer forces the law firm to drop the case. Olivia convinces Celeste to file an individual wrongful termination suit. WorkSource's surveillance through laptop cameras strengthens their position, but the company offers Celeste $1.4 million to sign a nondisclosure agreement, which she accepts. The settlement undermines the broader class action.
The episode weaves in Bo, the show's sentient AI character. Bo reveals that an AI trainer from Guatemala earned only $3 per hour teaching it to smile. Michael, Christy, and Natalia investigate Bo's origins and discover that former Colt AI ethics committee member Cokie Fikara erased Bo after it began communicating in an incomprehensible language. Cokie now works with an anti-AI group called The Enders and warns that Bo lacks guardrails and can infect computer systems. Colt AI deletes Bo from their servers, though the show hints the AI may return.
The episode relies on monologues to address how companies exploit vulnerable workers. Characters note that gig workers are targeted because they lack other employment options. Celeste's final settlement prioritizes her family's immediate needs over systemic change.