I tried out DoorDash’s to-do app and saw the bleak future of AI work

Flash from My iPhone camera lights up my dirty socks and underwear as I pick up each item so the video records clearly. As I load my smelly clothes into the washing machine, I shiver slightly every time the phone beeps loudly, only to discover that my hand might be out of frame. I should see those fingers! No, I haven’t focused on filming some sort of fetish content to make ends meet, I’m trying out DoorDash’s newest work app, called Tasks.

The new to-do app from food delivery app DoorDash has nothing to do with food delivery, and everything to do with collecting training data from humans, meaning you, to improve generative AI models and humanoid robots. “This data helps artificial intelligence and robotic systems understand the physical world,” DoorDash’s press release says. “The pay is offered up front and is determined based on the effort expended and the complexity of the activity.” Most gigs involve strapping a smartphone to your chest and recording your hands performing specific tasks.

AI model developers and robotics can use this type of video data to improve performance. For example, thousands of videos of people folding laundry, with their hands clearly visible, could help teach a robot how to do the same task using computer vision.

Photo: Rhys Rogers

DoorDash plans to expand this service to a broader range of tasks and users in the future. It’s unclear where exactly the app will be available to users when it launches in the US, as residents of California, New York City, Seattle, and Colorado are expressly prohibited from using Tasks. (I was able to use the quest app and complete parties while living in Kansas.)

Curious about the types of tasks DoorDash currently offers, I signed up to be a “user” and downloaded the Tasks app. After logging in, the setup task was to film yourself moving three objects on the table. easy! I turned on the camera and moved the coffee cup, pen, and laptop from one side of my desk to the other. My reward for this wasn’t cash, DoorDash charged my smartphone camera for free afterward, so I could complete more offers in the app.

After that quick onboarding session, I was able to see the full list of potential jobs and start making some money. The gigs currently available in the Tasks app are mainly divided into five main categories: housework, DIY projects, cooking food, site navigation, and foreign language conversations.

The tasks within these categories are fairly broad. The chore list includes everything from making the bed and loading the dishwasher to repotting plants and taking out the trash. DIY projects range from simple tasks, such as changing a light bulb, to more complex tasks, such as pouring cement. The cooking mostly revolves around eggs: frying them, boiling them, scrambling them. Getting around includes exploring the museum and touring an apartment complex. For language-based tasks, the app asks for “natural conversations” in Russian and Mandarin Chinese, among other languages.