The application of artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer limited to offices, schools, or colleges; it has now reached ordinary stores, integrating into daily tasks. People themselves are training AI to simplify their work. A recent post has caused public concern regarding job preservation.
In one instance, a barber demonstrated hand and body movements while filming a client's shaving process. This video material was published by industrialist Harsh Goyanka. Following this, discussions began about how AI and robots in the future might be able to master tasks traditionally considered entirely dependent on human skills.
To improve AI performance, some people are paid to record their daily duties. According to reports, in India, some employees are recording their work using cameras. This helps AI systems understand how a person holds a weapon, how they move objects from one place to another, and how they use their body to perform tasks.
An example is Sunita Rathore, who records the recycling process using an iPhone mounted on her head. According to the report, she earns an additional about 150 rupees per hour. Her duties include removing labels from trash, sorting goods, and collecting bags.
This process is not limited to one type of activity. In factories, warehouses, fields, and other locations, people are also recording their work actions and receiving extra income for it. Such recordings can become training data for AI and robotics. This allows machines to understand human working methods in the real world.
However, this does not mean that machines will immediately replace employees, but it indicates that in the future, human labor and skills may become important data for training AI.
Now, not only production processes are being recorded to train AI. Reports indicate that ordinary household chores, such as cutting fruits and making flower garlands, are also being captured by cameras. Some people are offered up to 250 rupees per hour for recording such work. Videos shot with head-mounted cameras help the machine understand what the person is looking at while working.
The discussion was not limited to this; previously, videos of Indian factory workers wearing cameras on their heads went viral on social media. These videos sparked a debate about whether these employees' work was being recorded to train AI. However, the exact purpose of recording these videos remained unknown.
The barber's work makes this discussion more interesting. Automation is usually discussed in the context of factory or computer work. However, in tasks like cutting or shaving, hand movements, tactile sensations, and experience are extremely important. If these actions are recorded by cameras and sensors for AI training, then in the future, robots may be able to perform such complex physical tasks better.
Nevertheless, the barber's work is not proof of the imminent disappearance of the barber profession; it is merely an example of the growing use of human activity to train AI and robotics.
Currently, people recording their work for AI training receive supplementary income. At the same time, companies and AI developers gain data on real working methods. However, as AI and robots come to better understand human physical labor, this will affect employment opportunities in the future. This will depend on how far the technology advances and how companies choose to use it.
