Essays – peer-reviewed https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.1971-8853/11657 Sociologica. V.14 N.3 (2020) ISSN 1971-8853 Pre-Automation: Insourcing and Automating the Gig Economy Janet A. Vertesi  Adam Goldstein † Diana Enriquez ‡ Larry Liu § Katherine T. Miller ¶ Submitted: October 22, 2020 – Revised version: December 21, 2020 Accepted: January 5, 2021 – Published: January 29, 2021 Abstract This paper examines a strategic confguration in the technology logistics and robotics industries that we call preautomation when emerging platform monopolies employ large outsourced labor forces while simultaneously investing in developing the tools to replace these workers with inhouse machines of their own design® In line with socioeco nomic studies of imagined futures we elaborate preautomation as a strategic investment associated with a frms ambitions for platform monopoly and consider Uber Amazon Flex and Amazon Delivery Services Partnership Program drivers as paradigmatic cases® We attempt detection of frms preautomation strategies through analysis of patenting hiring funding and acquisition activity and highlight features of certain forms of gig work that lay the infrastructural foundations for future automation® We argue that certain forms of platform labor may be viewed dynamically as an intermediate arrangement that stages outsourced tasks for subsequent insourcing through automated technologies and discuss the implications of this confguration for existing theories of outsourcing and technology driven job displacement® Keywords gig labor platform capitalism outsourcing automation imagined futures® Acknowledgements The authors thank the Sloan Foundation for support of this research under its Outsourc ing program the Princeton School of International Afairs for additional support and Daniel Kim for invaluable research assistance® We sincerely thank our anonymous review ers as well as Angèle Christin Mary Gray David Stark Steve Vallas and attendees of Prince ton Universitys Sociology Department Seminar Series for helpful comments on an earlier draft®  Sociology Department Princeton University USA  jvertesi@princeton®edu  httpsorcid®org0000000!,7McB676 † Sociology Department Princeton University USA  httpsorcid®org0000000!++6M!7,+ ‡ Sociology Department Princeton University USA  httpsorcid®org00000006B67,770! § Sociology Department Princeton University USA  httpsorcid®org00000006777X+cc7 ¶ Sociology Department Princeton University USA  httpsorcid®org0000000!!00MMXB+ Copyright © 2021 Janet A. Vertesi, Adam Goldstein, Diana Enriquez, Larry Liu, Katherine T. Miller The text in this work is licensed under the Creative Commons BY License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Art. #11657 p. 167