Amid the wave of artificial intelligence, Uber is quietly initiating a new revolution in the workforce. This company, which once focused solely on ride-hailing services, is now extending its reach into the hot new field of AI data annotation.
Uber has officially established a new department called "Scaled Solutions," dedicated to recruiting digital "gig workers" from around the globe to provide data annotation services for AI models. This new initiative not only serves the company's internal business but also starts catering to external clients, including autonomous driving company Aurora Innovation and game developer Niantic.
Currently, this data annotation workforce has begun recruiting collaborators in multiple countries, including the United States, Canada, and India. This strategy may seem mundane, but it actually hides business opportunities: in the AI-driven era, data annotation has become a highly valuable field.
In comparison, Scale AI, a company focused on data annotation, has seen its valuation soar to an astonishing $13.8 billion this year, completing $1 billion in funding in just 8 years. Uber has clearly keenly captured this booming market opportunity.
This move reflects how tech giants are accelerating their investments in AI infrastructure. For Uber, this is not just about expanding new business; it is also about securing a place in the future AI ecosystem. By integrating a global crowdsourced workforce, they are building a flexible and efficient data processing ecosystem.
In today's rapidly evolving AI technology landscape, data is the "oil," and annotation work is the key process for refining this precious resource. Uber's strategy is undoubtedly a powerful endorsement of this field.
