#gig-work

#gig-work

That's the concept behind RentAHuman.ai, a website that garnered social media attention and drew 200,000 people to sign up over the past week. Describing itself as "the meatspace layer for AI," the website says that it allows human users to sign up to complete tasks for AI agents who want things done offline - since, obviously, AI can't yet visit a store or talk to someone face-to-face.

AI training is a booming industry that is making the human contributors behind the screen more important than ever. As data from publicly available sources runs out, companies like Meta, Google, and OpenAI are hiring thousands of data labelers around the world to teach their chatbots what they know best. Data labeling startups like Mercor and Handshake advertise that contributors can earn up to $100 an hour for their STEM, legal, or healthcare expertise.

According to Uber, beginning later this year, drivers and couriers who opt into the program can complete "digital tasks" within Uber's Driver app. These tasks can include submitting a video of themselves speaking in their native language, uploading pictures of specific everyday items, or presenting documents written in a different language. After tasks are completed, the earnings will be in the users' balance within 24 hours. Compensation depends on the time commitment to complete tasks and their complexity.

I started my career at IBM in digital marketing. My brother used to say to me, "You're always going to have a job." I've been through layoffs and worked at companies that shut down, but I never really had to look for a job in my role. My last position was as director of e-commerce at Badcock Home Furniture. I made $120,000 as my base salary.

We help brands hire college-age students, and we built our product to be transparent, low-barrier to entry, and help with imposter syndrome. Our platform is different than a Handshake or other early-talent job boards because the opportunities are very project-based, and they're mostly not full-time roles. Companies use the platform for Gen Z research, product testing, sourcing interns, ambassador programs, and content creation.