AI Companies Recruit Actors and Performers for Model Training

Handshake AI Recruits Performers to Train Advanced AI Models

Handshake AI, a company specializing in providing training data to prominent AI laboratories like OpenAI, is actively recruiting actors, improvisers, and other performers. The open role seeks individuals to train an AI model for a leading AI company, utilizing their performance skills to contribute directly to AI model development.

The Role: Training AI for Emotional Intelligence

Participants in Handshake AI's collaborative improv project are matched with other performers over video. They receive a prompt or scenario for exploration, engaging in unscripted, open-ended sessions that offer creative freedom.

The job listing specifically seeks individuals with a background in acting, improv, sketch, or theater work. A key requirement highlighted is emotional awareness, defined as the ability to recognize, express, and authentically shift between emotions.

The role aims to test the limits of large language models' (LLMs) understanding by teaching models to recognize and replicate human tone and emotions. Interactions are expected to feel grounded and genuinely human.

Industry Shift: Diverse Professionals in AI Training

The current landscape of AI model development sees models often described as "jagged," performing exceptionally well on complex tasks but sometimes struggling with simpler ones. AI companies are proactively addressing these knowledge gaps with specialized data labeling efforts.

Companies like Handshake, Mercor, and Scale AI have significantly adjusted their hiring strategies. They now include professionals from diverse white-collar industries, such as chemists, doctors, lawyers, and screenwriters, to provide nuanced training data.

Surging Demand and Multimodal Expansion

The demand for training data has seen explosive growth. Handshake's demand reportedly tripled last summer, reaching an impressive $150 million run rate by November. To meet this escalating need for specialized data, the company, along with its competitors, maintains extensive networks of tens of thousands of professionals.

In recent years, AI companies have made significant strides into "multimodal" models. These advanced models are capable of generating images and video, and facilitating voice interactions with increasingly realistic inflections. OpenAI, xAI (with Grok), and Anthropic (with Claude) are among the leaders who have integrated or expanded voice features within their offerings.

Compensation and Community Concerns

The Handshake job listing promotes part-time, flexible tasks designed to fit alongside other commitments. It advertises an average pay of $74 per hour.

However, previous reports indicate that starting pay for such projects may decrease after sign-up, and schedule flexibility can be impacted by competition for limited tasks.

The job listing has sparked discussions within the r/improv community on Reddit. Some users characterized the role as "dystopian" and speculated that its primary aim is to train AI models for generating videos or incredibly human-like conversations. Concerns were also raised about AI's potential long-term impact on acting and improv professions, though some optimistically suggested a potential resurgence of live comedy as a counter-response.