What's Happening?
DoorDash has introduced a new app called Tasks, designed to engage its delivery workers, known as Dashers, in activities that contribute to training artificial intelligence models. This initiative allows Dashers to perform various tasks, such as filming
everyday activities or recording conversations in different languages, which are then used to enhance AI systems' understanding of the physical world. The Tasks app is separate from the regular delivery app and offers opportunities for Dashers to earn extra income by completing these assignments. The company has partnered with businesses across retail, insurance, hospitality, and technology sectors to utilize the data collected through these tasks.
Why It's Important?
The introduction of the Tasks app by DoorDash highlights a growing trend where gig economy workers are being leveraged to train AI models. This approach not only provides additional income opportunities for Dashers but also addresses the increasing demand for diverse datasets required to develop sophisticated AI systems. By involving gig workers in AI training, companies like DoorDash can potentially accelerate the development of AI technologies, which could lead to advancements in automation and robotics. However, this raises questions about the long-term implications for employment, as well as privacy concerns for workers participating in these tasks.
What's Next?
DoorDash plans to expand the availability of the Tasks app to more regions and potentially introduce new types of tasks. However, the app will not be available in areas with strict privacy and employment regulations, such as California, New York City, Seattle, and Colorado. As the program develops, it will be important to monitor how DoorDash addresses privacy concerns and the impact of AI training on the gig economy workforce. Additionally, the success of this initiative could influence other companies to adopt similar strategies, further integrating AI training into gig work.
