New Yorkers can get their apartments cleaned for free, but there is a hidden price they might not be willing to pay. The free cleanings, provided by the tech startup Shift, can handle 'pretty much everything,' from bathroom scrubbing to organizing shoes. However, these professional cleaners will be multitasking: They record everything they are doing to train artificial intelligence.
How Shift's Free Cleaning Service Works
Shift claims it 'connects New Yorkers with free, trusted professional house cleaners' in exchange for recording first-person cleaning footage in their apartments to help train household robots. The company plans to use the footage to teach AI how humans perform everyday tasks. Names, faces, or other personal information will be made anonymous, with any sensitive details blurred before it is used for training.
'We blur all personally identifiable information from screens and ID cards, to pieces of paper and cell phones to help protect both you and your home,' the company's website said.
Why Shift Needs Real-World Data
This real-world data is needed for AI to progress and cannot really be recreated without spending money. Shift's solution? Spend that money to hire professional cleanings that will gather data about how they do household chores. First, it needs houses and apartments to clean. Shift claims it operates in over 15 countries and is now introducing its free cleaning service in New York City.
Shift's offer includes services ranging from laundry folding to fridge organization to bathroom scrubbing. The 'book a free cleaning' link directs potential clients to enter their phone number, email address and home address, along with access instructions, before booking a two-hour cleaning session. Even if the service is free, booking an appointment requires payment information, in case the client is not present when the cleaners arrive or if service is refused after they arrive.
Shift Prefers Dirty Homes for Training
The company actually prefers if the home is very dirty for training purposes. 'In fact, more challenging cleaning environments can be especially useful,' the company added. 'That said, cleaners may decline any specific task they are not comfortable performing.'
Mixed Reactions on Social Media
The company posted the announcement on X, earning mixed reactions from social media users. While some begged the startup to expand the offer to other cities, others grew wary of the filming aspect.
'This is the beginning of how AI and tech are going to start directly affecting and improving our quality of life,' one X user wrote. Another added that people are going to 'hate' the company, 'but once robots start doing physical work, everyone gets rich.' A skeptical X user called Shift's idea 'insane,' while some described it as a 'game-changer' that actually helps families.
'This is such a bold vision for where AI and real-world services are heading,' another X user wrote. 'Love seeing companies think beyond just software.'
Shift Joins Trend of Companies Using Consumers for AI Training
The offer is the latest in a long string of companies luring everyday people into their AI training, including big names like Uber and LinkedIn. While many of the AI training programs focus on white-collar work, some, like Shift's, aim to prep tech for physical tasks.
'We are bridging the economy of today into the AI economy where all services, goods, and leisure will be affordable, and humanity will progress towards abundance,' Shift said.
The AI 'boom' has even opened up a number of high-paying jobs related to the tech space. AI tech managers, who earn over six-figure salaries, help companies implement AI tools, manage staff transitions and coordinate projects between technical teams and business leaders.
