DoorDash announced on Thursday that it’s launching a new, standalone “Tasks” app that will allow the company to pay its delivery couriers to complete assignments aimed at improving AI and robotic systems. Delivery couriers will be able to earn money by completing activities like filming everyday tasks or recording themselves speaking in another language, DoorDash says.
“This data helps AI and robotic systems understand the physical world,” DoorDash wrote in a blog post. “Pay is shown upfront and determined based on effort and complexity of the activity.”
Bloomberg reports that the original audio and video footage submitted by workers will be used to evaluate both the company’s in-house AI models and those developed by its partners in the retail, insurance, hospitality, and technology sectors.
One example of a task involves asking a courier to capture footage of their hands washing at least five dishes while wearing a body camera, holding each clean dish in frame for a few seconds before moving on to the next, Bloomberg reports.
DoorDash isn’t the only company tapping its delivery workforce to train AI models. Late last year, Uber announced plans to let drivers earn extra income by completing small jobs, such as uploading photos to help train AI models.
In addition to the standalone Tasks app, delivery couriers will see new digital “Tasks” listed on the Dasher app. Examples include helping a restaurant showcase its menu by taking real photos of its dishes or taking photos of a hotel entrance so delivery drivers can find the drop-off location more easily. DoorDash’s partnership with Waymo, where delivery couriers are paid to close the doors of the self-driving cars, is also listed in the app as a task.
“The goal of Tasks is to help more businesses understand what’s happening on the ground and gather new insights, all while giving Dashers a new way to earn on their own terms,” said Ethan Beatty, General Manager, DoorDash Tasks, in the blog post. “There are more than 8 million Dashers who can reach almost anywhere in the U.S. and who want to earn flexibly beyond delivery. That’s a powerful capability to digitize the physical world.”
The in-app Tasks and the standalone Tasks app are available in select places in the U.S., excluding California, New York City, Seattle, and Colorado. DoorDash plans to expand into more task types and countries in the future.