DoorDash Introduces New ‘Tasks’ App to Train AI and Robots
In an innovative move, DoorDash, the popular food delivery service, has launched a new stand-alone application known as “Tasks”. Announced on Thursday, this app provides an opportunity for the company’s delivery couriers to earn additional income through assignments designed to enhance Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotic systems. These unique tasks range from filming everyday activities to recording speech in foreign languages.
DoorDash has stated that the data collected through these tasks will contribute significantly to helping AI and robotic systems comprehend the physical world better. The payment for these tasks, as per the company, will be determined based on the effort required and the complexity of the activity, and will be shown upfront.
How will the Tasks App Work?
This unique initiative by DoorDash involves the use of original audio and video footage submitted by the delivery workers to evaluate and improve the company’s in-house AI models, as well as those developed by its partners across various sectors including retail, insurance, hospitality, and technology. According to a Bloomberg report, a typical task might involve a courier capturing their hands washing at least five dishes while wearing a body camera, presenting each clean dish in frame for a few seconds before moving on to the next.
Other Companies Following Suit
DoorDash is not alone in this endeavor to use its workforce to train AI models. Last year, Uber, another leader in the delivery sector, also announced similar plans. Uber drivers can now earn extra income by completing small jobs, such as uploading photos to aid in the training of AI models.
Image Credits:DoorDash
Tasks App: An Opportunity for Dashers
Aside from the stand-alone Tasks app, delivery couriers will also notice new digital “Tasks” listed on the Dasher app. These tasks could involve helping a restaurant showcase its menu by taking photos of its dishes, or capturing images of a hotel’s entrance to help other delivery drivers locate the drop-off point more easily. One such task listed on the app includes DoorDash’s partnership with Waymo, where delivery couriers are paid to close the doors of self-driving cars.
According to Ethan Beatty, general manager of DoorDash Tasks, the objective of Tasks is to assist more businesses in understanding on-ground scenarios and gather new insights, all the while providing Dashers a new avenue to earn money on their own terms. He stated, “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 Tasks feature within the Dasher app, as well as the stand-alone Tasks app, are currently available only in selected locations in the U.S., with California, New York City, Seattle, and Colorado being exceptions. However, DoorDash has plans to expand its reach to more task types and countries in the future.
With this innovative move, DoorDash continues to demonstrate its commitment to technological advancements and the welfare of its workforce. It remains to be seen how this experiment will influence the future of AI and robotics and the delivery industry at large.
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