TLDRs;
- DoorDash launches Tasks app, letting couriers earn by recording videos for AI.
- AI-focused assignments pay Dashers upfront based on effort and task complexity.
- Tasks app integrates with Dasher app, including restaurant and hotel tasks.
- Selective U.S. rollout now, with plans to expand globally in the future.
DoorDash (NASDAQ: DASH) saw its shares rise on Thursday following the announcement of a new stand-alone “Tasks” app designed to let delivery couriers earn extra income while supporting artificial intelligence development.
The app allows Dashers to complete assignments such as filming everyday tasks, capturing images, or recording audio in different languages.
According to DoorDash, the initiative helps AI and robotic systems better understand the physical world. Payments are displayed upfront and are based on the complexity and effort required for each assignment, giving workers clear expectations before they start.
Couriers Help Train AI Models
The app uses original video and audio footage submitted by couriers to enhance DoorDash’s internal AI models, as well as those of external partners across retail, hospitality, insurance, and technology sectors. For instance, one task may ask a courier to film themselves washing multiple dishes while wearing a body camera, ensuring each dish is held in frame briefly before moving to the next.
https://twitter.com/wallstengine/status/2034689106882830455
DoorDash’s approach follows a broader trend in the gig economy, where companies are increasingly leveraging delivery workforces to collect real-world data for AI development. Uber, for example, introduced similar programs last year, paying drivers to upload photos to help train machine learning systems.
Integration with Existing Platforms
Alongside the stand-alone Tasks app, DoorDash is also adding new “Tasks” directly within the existing Dasher app. These assignments include capturing images of restaurant dishes for menus, photographing hotel entrances for easier drop-offs, or assisting in DoorDash’s collaboration with Waymo by closing self-driving car doors.
Ethan Beatty, general manager of DoorDash Tasks, explained that the goal is to provide businesses with actionable insights while offering Dashers flexible earning opportunities. “There are more than 8 million Dashers who can reach almost anywhere in the U.S. and who want to earn flexibly beyond delivery,” Beatty said. “That’s a powerful capability to digitize the physical world.”
Selective Rollout with Expansion Plans
Currently, both the in-app Tasks and the stand-alone app are available in selected U.S. locations, excluding California, New York City, Seattle, and Colorado. DoorDash has indicated plans to gradually expand the range of tasks and introduce the platform in additional countries.
Investors responded positively to the launch, as the program opens new revenue streams and strengthens the company’s position in the growing AI services market. Analysts note that providing couriers with multiple avenues to earn could enhance worker satisfaction and engagement, supporting the company’s long-term growth strategy.
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