DoorDash introduced a new, separate "Tasks" app on Thursday, enabling the company to compensate its delivery drivers for completing assignments that enhance AI and robotic systems. Drivers can earn money by performing activities such as recording everyday tasks or speaking in another language on video. According to DoorDash, this information assists AI and robotic systems in comprehending the physical environment. The company noted that payment is displayed in advance and is based on the effort and complexity of each activity.

Bloomberg indicates that the original audio and video content provided by workers will be utilized to assess both DoorDash's proprietary AI models and those created by its partners across retail, insurance, hospitality, and technology industries. For instance, one task might require a driver to use a body camera to film themselves washing at least five dishes, holding each clean dish in view for several seconds before proceeding. DoorDash is not alone in leveraging its delivery workforce for AI training; Uber revealed plans late last year to allow drivers to earn additional income by completing minor jobs, like uploading photos to aid in AI model training.

Alongside the standalone Tasks app, delivery drivers will find new digital "Tasks" featured within the Dasher app. These may include assisting a restaurant by photographing its menu items to better showcase dishes or capturing images of a hotel entrance to help delivery drivers locate drop-off points more efficiently. DoorDash's collaboration with Waymo, where drivers are paid to close the doors of autonomous vehicles, is also listed as a task in the app. Ethan Beatty, General Manager of DoorDash Tasks, explained in a blog post that the aim of Tasks is to support businesses in gaining real-time insights and understanding on-the-ground conditions, while offering Dashers an additional flexible earning opportunity. He highlighted that over 8 million Dashers across nearly every U.S. location are seeking flexible income beyond deliveries, representing a significant resource for digitizing the physical world.

Both the in-app Tasks and the standalone Tasks app are currently accessible in certain U.S. locations, with exceptions including California, New York City, Seattle, and Colorado. DoorDash intends to broaden the range of task types and expand into additional countries in the future.