DoorDash officially announced on Thursday the rollout of a standalone “Tasks” application. This platform creates a new gig-work stream, paying delivery couriers to complete specific assignments designed to refine AI and robotic systems. By recording everyday activities or providing linguistic data, workers are effectively acting as trainers for machine learning models.
How Couriers Are Helping Build AI
According to the company, the data gathered through these tasks helps robotic systems better interpret the physical world. Compensation for these assignments is displayed upfront, with pay rates calibrated based on the complexity and effort required for each specific job.
Industry reports from Bloomberg indicate that the captured audio and video footage will serve to evaluate both internal DoorDash AI models and those developed by third-party partners across the hospitality, retail, insurance, and technology sectors. Specific requirements can be granular; for instance, some tasks involve wearing a body camera to capture footage of hands washing dishes, requiring the courier to hold each item in the frame for a set duration.
A Growing Trend in Gig Work
DoorDash is not the only major player leveraging its delivery fleet for data collection. Late last year, Uber announced similar initiatives, offering drivers opportunities to earn additional income by uploading photos and performing data labeling tasks to assist in AI training.
Beyond the Standalone App
The “Tasks” functionality is not limited to the new standalone app. Delivery workers will also see digital tasks integrated directly into the main Dasher app. These include:
- Taking professional-grade photos of restaurant menus.
- Capturing images of hotel entrances to improve delivery drop-off accuracy.
- Collaborating with Waymo, where couriers are paid to manually close the doors of self-driving vehicles.
Ethan Beatty, General Manager of DoorDash Tasks, noted that the initiative aims to provide businesses with on-the-ground insights while offering Dashers flexible earning opportunities. “There are more than 8 million Dashers who can reach almost anywhere in the U.S. That’s a powerful capability to digitize the physical world,” Beatty stated.
Currently, the feature is available in select U.S. regions, with notable exclusions including New York City, California, Seattle, and Colorado. DoorDash intends to scale the program, incorporating more task categories and expanding into international markets in the near future.