Essential Insights
- DoorDash’s new Tasks app involves recording videos of humans performing various tasks to improve AI and robotics, not food delivery.
- Users film themselves completing activities like household chores or language conversations, with pay based on effort and complexity.
- The app is currently limited geographically, excluding residents of California, NYC, Seattle, and Colorado.
- Participants receive a free smartphone mount and can choose tasks in broad categories such as cleaning, handiwork, cooking, navigation, and language practice.
DoorDash’s Tasks App Explores a New Type of Gig Work
Recently, I tried out a new app from DoorDash called Tasks. Unlike the typical food delivery service, this app involves doing simple tasks while recording videos with your phone. The main goal is to help improve artificial intelligence (AI) and robots.
The app pays users based on effort and how complicated the task is. Most gigs ask people to record their hands performing different activities. For example, you might film yourself folding laundry or changing a lightbulb. These videos help developers teach AI systems how to do everyday chores.
At the start, I signed up and completed a quick task—moving a few objects across my desk. In return, I received a smartphone body-mount for filming future gigs. After that, I could see a list of activities I could do, including household chores, handiwork, cooking, navigation, and language practice.
The tasks are quite broad. For example, chores include making a bed or taking out the trash. Handiwork ranges from replacing a lightbulb to pouring cement. Cooking mostly involves preparing eggs in different ways. Navigation tasks include exploring places like museums. Some language tasks involve practicing natural conversations in Russian or Chinese.
DoorDash plans to add more tasks and reach more users soon. However, some states, such as California and New York City, are not yet able to access the app. I was able to use it in Kansas and complete various gigs.
Overall, this new app shows a different side of gig work, focusing on training AI rather than delivering food. While it might seem simple, it provides a glimpse into the future of AI development and how humans could shape it.
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