Workers in India record their daily jobs on camera to train artificial intelligence

Hundreds of thousands of workers in India are recording their daily work routines with head-mounted cameras to train physical artificial intelligence models developed by technology companies and research institutions. Ranging from barbering and textile production to domestic chores, this process converts workers' hand movements and physical tasks into digital data, aiming to help robots learn complex real-world tasks.

Data collection companies such as Rashdan Technologies and Humyn Labs pay workers between $5 and $10 a day to build high-quality datasets, particularly in areas like industrial tasks, agriculture, and household chores. Experts note that for robots to succeed in the real world, they need real data that includes the force and movement dynamics applied by the human hand, beyond computer simulations.

Assessment: Workers providing data to systems that will automate their own jobs brings concerns about potential future employment losses. Prof. Bino Paul from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences emphasizes that this situation is a survival strategy for workers, but that artificial intelligence must be regulated with regard to ethical and human values.