The Robot Revolution Needs Human Help—and It’s Creating a New Gig Economy

Millions spent on humanoid robots depend on gig workers recording daily tasks, signaling a shift in AI training and work.

BY KIT EATON @KITEATON

Billions of dollars are being spent on making the long-promised robot revolution come true, with many different firms working on AI-powered humanoid robots destined to work in factories, offices, and even our homes. Elon Musk is so bought into the notion that he’s more or less bet the entire future of Tesla on humanoid robot tech. Like other AI-powered systems, these robot systems need tons of training information before they can be deployed in real-world tasks. New reports have dug into how this training happens and have uncovered a vast network of gig workers busily gathering data, possibly indicating a shift in the entire gig economy.

A report at MIT Technology Review showcases the kind of work these gig workers are doing, focusing on the work of Zeus, a Nigerian medical student. He makes extra money recording robot training data for Micro1, which is a Palo Alto-based company. In his spare time, Zeus (a pseudonym) carefully records himself repeatedly performing........

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