People are filming chores to help train home robots

In short: More companies are paying people to record first-person videos of everyday chores so robots can learn how to do them.

What's going on

Some gig work platforms now pay people to strap a phone camera to their head or chest and film tasks like washing dishes, folding laundry, and pouring drinks. These clips are used as training data for robots and AI systems, basically like giving a robot a library of “how to” examples.

A Wired reporter tested several platforms, including Kled, Luel, and Waffle Video. The jobs often come with strict rules, like keeping your hands visible, recording in one continuous take, and avoiding faces for privacy. The reporter earned $1 from Kled after hitting a 100-item upload requirement, $0.55 from Luel for a short approved video, and about $20 from Waffle after submitting many short clips.

The demand is growing because general internet video is often not specific enough. Companies want close-up, repeatable examples, like hands pouring water into a glass without spilling. Investors have suggested that leading companies could buy hundreds of millions of hours of this kind of video in the coming years.

What to watch

Pay and working conditions are a big question. This is still gig work, which can mean low or uncertain earnings and limited protections. There are also ongoing concerns about privacy and fraud, since platforms have to filter out stolen videos and remove personal details before selling data to buyers.

Source: Wired