DoorDash launches Tasks app to pay couriers for AI training

On Thursday, DoorDash announced the launch of a stand-alone Tasks app designed to pay its delivery couriers—whom the company refers to as Dashers—for completing assignments that help train artificial intelligence and robotic systems. According to a DoorDash blog post, “Pay is shown upfront and determined based on effort and complexity of the activity.” The initiative allows couriers to earn money by performing tasks such as recording video footage of everyday physical actions.

Bloomberg reported that the original audio and video footage submitted by workers will be used to evaluate DoorDash’s in-house AI models as well as those developed by its partners. For example, one task requires a courier to capture footage of their hands washing at least five dishes. DoorDash noted in its blog post that this data helps AI and robotic systems understand the physical world.

DoorDash is following a trend set by competitors in the gig-economy sector. Late last year, Uber announced plans to let its drivers earn extra income by completing small jobs to train AI models.

Ethan Beatty, general manager of DoorDash Tasks, stated in a blog post that the goal of the program is to help more businesses understand what is happening on the ground and gather new insights, while giving couriers a new way to earn on their own terms. Beatty added that there are more than 8 million Dashers who can reach almost anywhere in the U.S. and who want to earn flexibly beyond delivery, which provides a powerful capability to digitize the physical world. Currently, the Tasks app is available in select places in the U.S., but the rollout explicitly excludes California, New York City, Seattle, and Colorado.

Why it matters

DoorDash is leveraging its delivery workforce to collect data for AI and robotic systems, aiming to digitize the physical world while providing new earning opportunities for its couriers.