Getting Paid to Train AI
Getting paid to train AI models (data labeling, prompt writing, response evaluation) through platforms open to workers worldwide
From Talk with Richey
Startup cost: Free (standard signup; a laptop and internet connection) (our estimate; the video doesn’t give figures)
Source video
Talk with Richey · I Tested Handshake AI's $75/hr Remote Job For a Week — Here's How Much I Actually Made ↗
What It Is
Sign up for a platform that pays contractors to help train AI models: reviewing AI responses, correcting mistakes, writing prompts, and evaluating output quality. The presenter tests Handshake AI specifically but is upfront it requires a bachelor's/master's/doctoral degree and a valid US or Canada work permit; for workers outside those requirements, he names four alternatives accepting contractors from most countries: Scale AI (largest, data labeling and RLHF evaluation), Appen CloudGen (170+ countries, accepts zero-experience starters), Surge AI (more specialized, higher-quality projects), and Mindrift (newer, 800,000+ vetted trainers). Work typically starts with basic tasks and levels up into higher-paying specialized evaluation work over time.
The Pitch
The presenter tracked every dollar over a full week testing Handshake AI himself, and is transparent that his realistic earnings were $450-525 for about 15 hours of work — not the '$75-300/hour' headline rates advertised; he cites one person who started on a similar platform doing basic annotation at $15/hour and, eight months later, was doing specialized RLHF work at $65/hour on the same platform.
Who It’s Best For
Someone comfortable with detail-oriented evaluation/writing work, willing to start at lower pay and build toward specialized, higher-paying work over time.
The Truth (as we see it)
Handshake AI, Scale AI, Appen, Surge AI, and Mindrift are all real, verifiable AI-training platforms, and the presenter's transparency about his actual $450-525 weekly earnings (versus advertised headline rates) and Handshake AI's real eligibility restrictions is far more credible than simply repeating the marketing numbers. The skill-progression example is a secondhand account, not independently verified, though presented as illustrative rather than typical.
Our assessment, based on the video and what’s typical across similar videos. We don’t independently verify income claims or prices.
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