Ann: Appen 2020 Full Year results, page-223

I asked myself that and my response is this:

Big tech firms will never enlist the services from data annotation companies from China or Russia, due to security concerns. Appen is not only good at what they do, but they're also trusted. If you want low quality AI then sure go for a cheaper alternative, but I doubt Appen would want their business anyway since the true value comes from long-term contracts which are dependent on the AI product being successful.

Not all AI products are created equal. Some work, some don't. This is what people don't understand yet since there are no quality controls for AI products. Most people don't even understand what AI actually is. I can sell a product saying it uses AI, but does it really?

The greatest value Appen has is its trusted relationships with some of the biggest names in Tech. What these so-called competitors should be worried about is that Appen recognises there is increased competition in this space and they are looking to address that. The competitors you reference are not in it for the long haul since the growth/profit opportunities are just not there for them. They are just looking to get acquired.

Appen is now building relationships with the US govt, which will open up oppourtunities with governments around the world and will enable Appen to move into the high security data annotation space, which will only be reserved for top tier firms.