While artificial intelligence (AI) and robots are often viewed as a threat to human jobs, there is a counter-trend: people are being paid to train these same robots. This process allows individuals to earn significant supplementary income.
This trend is gaining popularity in China. According to the South China Morning Post, the demand for training robots to perform domestic duties in China has increased. Specialists who train robots are called 'robot trainers.'
To teach a robot, people perform specific actions, such as folding clothes or washing dishes, using specialized equipment. These actions are recorded by cameras, and the collected data is used to train the robots.
For this work, employees wear sensor devices on their hands, chips on their fingers, and motion capture devices. These gadgets record the workers' movements.
In China, job postings related to this training appear on social media and various job search platforms. For this activity, a monthly salary ranging from 4,000 to 6,000 yuan (equivalent to 50 to 85 thousand) is offered.
Guo Hongjuan, residing in Jiangsu province, China, uses this method of earning money alongside her household duties. According to SCMP, she spends about six hours daily collecting data to train robots. Her tasks include organizing books, cleaning tables, and moving household items. She earns about 4,000 yuan per month for this work, which is approximately 57,000 Indian rupees.
However, the income varies depending on the specific job. A twenty-two-year-old student named San from Shanxi province, China, did this work during summer vacation while looking for an internship. He was paid 120 yuan (approximately 1,700 rupees) for a day shift and 135 yuan (approximately 1,900 rupees) for a night shift. His duties included folding clothes, sweeping the floor, and preparing records of human actions for the robot.
Similar reports have appeared before. Previously, businessman Harsh Goyanka shared a video where a person was cutting hair while wearing a camera on their head to record hand movements. This work is not limited to household chores but is also applied in factories, warehouses, and farms.