DoorDash’s New Tasks App Will Pay You to Train AI
On Thursday, delivery platform DoorDash announced a new task expansion called Tasks, a collection of small jobs its Dashers can do to earn a little extra money. Some of these tasks are insignificant additions to regular work delivery appsuch as taking photos of menus or entrances to establishments.
DoorDash is also launching a standalone app this really caught our attention. Through it, the company will assign basic tasks for training AI models.
“Dashers can perform activities like filming daily tasks or recording themselves speaking in another language,” the DoorDash post explains. “This data helps AI and robotic systems understand the physical world.”
If you head to the new Tasks app download pages, you’ll see other sample tasks, including washing at least five dishes with your hands visible, making your bed, and repotting plants.
Today’s AIs use advanced machine learning to interpret not only text, as in the case of chatbotsbut also visual data, such as objects, actions and even the context behind certain actions. DoorDash’s video tasks would likely be used for this type of training.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen companies hire workers specifically to train AI: Uber launched its own AI training program late last year.
But these programs raise questions. What happens when AI models are deemed sufficiently trained? Would these trained AIs be used to replace employees in other sectors? Are Dashers (er, Taskers?) who use this app able to protect their own privacy when the AI analyzes their videos?
When I contacted DoorDash, the company told me it “maintains strong privacy safeguards in all of our products and services, including Jobs,” without providing details.
It’s unclear which AI models will be trained on all this visual data, but DoorDash is casting its net wide. The company says it partners with companies in the retail, insurance, hospitality and technology industries for task training. Maybe part will train robots.
DoorDash Jobs will have two parts: one available to traditional Dashers and a separate app for training the AI.
How much does DoorDash pay for this AI training?
It is difficult to calculate exactly how much a person could be paid for this work. DoorDash states: “Payment is displayed in advance and determined based on the effort and complexity of the activity. » This doesn’t reveal much, but screenshots of the Task app in action give additional clues.
In one example, the app offered $16 to scan store shelves. In another, he offered $20 to have a daily conversation in Spanish with your friends or family (something that should be both “spontaneous” and carefully organized in advance to avoid “political content” and “identifiable information”, so good luck).
According to the dollar sign icons, tasks like cooking with a frying pan will pay more than tasks like folding clothes.
Where will these tasks be available?
We don’t know where the Tasks app will be available once the rollout is complete, but it is currently available in select regions in the United States.
DoorDash says the app will be completely banned in places like California, New York, Seattle, and Colorado. It didn’t give a reason, but it likely has something to do with privacy and employment legislation those areas have adopted, such as the California ruling that identifies gig workers as independent contractors.
