Humanoid data
NOBODY TALKING: Everyone is racing to train humanoid robots. Nobody is talking about who's actually collecting the training data—or what they're being paid.
Why it matters
The humanoid robot boom depends on crowdsourced human data collection. This article exposes the emerging gig-economy infrastructure funding AI training at scale, raising questions about labor practices, data rights, and the hidden supply chain behind robotics capability.
The key facts
5 to knowCryptocurrency payment models for human task-recording emerging as training data collection mechanism
Remote robotic arm control (tele-operation) used for puzzle-solving tasks in offshore locations (Shenzhen)
Decentralized/app-based platforms enabling distributed humanoid training data collection
Tasks include basic manipulation (food handling, microwaving)
Published April 21, 2026 — recent and timely
Go to the source
MIT Technology Reviewtechnologyreview.com
Publisher excerpt: I was recently invited to join an app that would pay me cryptocurrency to film myself doing tasks like putting food into a bowl, microwaving it, and then taking it out. Another website suggested I try a new game in which I’d remotely control a robotic arm in Shenzhen, China, as it completed puzzles…
