The story of Utkarsh Amitabh, an Indian-origin entrepreneur living in the United Kingdom, reinforced the rise and influence of artificial intelligence models and tools in the tech world. Speaking to CNBC
Make It, Amitabh revealed he earns $200 (around Rs 18,000) an hour working part-time on AI tools despite juggling multiple professional duties.
Unravelling his journey, Amitabh said he was approached by a data-labelling startup, micro1, in January 2025. The entrepreneur says he was already trying to balance life through multiple roles, including as an author, university lecturer, founder and CEO of global mentorship platform Network Capital. He was also a PhD student at the University of Oxford Saïd Business School and a newly turned father.
‘Intellectual Curiosity’
Despite a schedule that demanded a lot out of him, Amitabh said he accepted the role among micro1’s network of experts due to his “intellectual curiosity”, something he was very keen to explore. It also helped that the opportunity synced perfectly with his background in business strategy, financial modelling and technology.
The 34-year-old, who has an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in moral philosophy, previously spent over 6 years at Microsoft working on cloud computing and AI partnerships. According to CNBC, Amitabh’s earlier works include a book on the side-hustle economy and extensive academic research over artificial intelligence and its impact on humanity.
2.69 Crore Made Since January
Amitabh said he found himself a “natural fit” in the micro1 network and acknowledged the flexibility he is provided with in the freelance role. “This didn’t seem like an add-on, but something that I could use to further my interests in a limited number of hours a week,” he said.
Having spent roughly 3.5 hours each night in his role since January, Amitabh has made close to $300,000 (approximately, Rs 2.69 crore) apart from project completion bonuses. Money, however, was never the primary motivation in taking up the job. Amitabh emphasised “fair pay to be a core value” and added that he found the compensation to be “respectable” for his work.
Amid fears of AI leading to severe job displacement, Amitabh said, “It’s also possible that this AI fear collectively empowers us to learn better, upskill ourselves and frame questions differently about ourselves. So I’m not concerned about the [idea of] AI Doom entirely, because I think it does far more good than bad.”
