DoorDash announced on Thursday that it is launching a new, standalone “Tasks” app. This app will allow the company to pay its delivery couriers to complete assignments aimed at improving artificial intelligence and robotic systems. According to DoorDash, delivery couriers can earn money by completing activities like filming everyday tasks or recording themselves speaking in another language.
The company explained in a blog post that this data helps AI and robotic systems understand the physical world. Pay for each task is shown upfront and is determined by the effort and complexity of the activity.
Reports indicate the original audio and video footage submitted by workers will be used to evaluate both DoorDash’s in-house AI models and those developed by its partners in the retail, insurance, hospitality, and technology sectors. One example task involves a courier capturing footage of their hands washing at least five dishes while wearing a body camera, holding each clean dish in frame for a few seconds.
DoorDash is not 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 within the main Dasher app. Examples include helping a restaurant showcase its menu by taking real photos of its dishes or photographing a hotel entrance to help delivery drivers find the drop-off location more easily.
DoorDash’s existing partnership with Waymo, where delivery couriers are paid to close the doors of self-driving cars, is also listed in the app as a task.
Ethan Beatty, General Manager of DoorDash Tasks, stated in the blog post that 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. He noted that there are more than 8 million Dashers who can reach almost anywhere in the U.S. and want to earn flexibly beyond delivery, calling that a powerful capability to digitize the physical world.
The in-app Tasks and the standalone Tasks app are currently available in select places in the United States, excluding California, New York City, Seattle, and Colorado. DoorDash plans to expand into more task types and countries in the future.