Former TV writers, directors, and producers are increasingly working as AI trainers, annotating data and evaluating AI-generated content for platforms like Mercor, Outlier, Task-ify, Turing, Handshake, and Micro1. This shift follows the 2023 Hollywood strike and the industry’s failure to regain momentum, pushing creatives toward AI gig work to survive financially. One Hollywood showrunner, who previously created dramas for Paramount, Hulu, and the BBC, began AI training in September 2025 after a producer defaulted on a six-figure payment. After applying to 10 jobs and completing unpaid assessments, they were hired as a generalist data annotator at $52 an hour, later moving into expert roles paying up to $70–$150 an hour.
What it does
AI training tasks include assessing chatbot tone, annotating video timestamps (e.g., dog barks, balloon pops), generating extreme content for red teaming, and evaluating AI-generated scripts. Workers follow strict scoring guidelines, often copying verbatim from rubrics to avoid penalties. Projects are managed via Slack, Airtable, and Zoom, with team leaders—typically recent graduates—overseeing large pools of contractors. Workers are classified as independent contractors, despite rigid expectations like 24-hour task completion and constant availability.
Work conditions and pay
The work is marked by instability, abrupt project cancellations, and inconsistent pay. Projects advertised as multi-week engagements often end without notice. In early 2025, expert roles paid up to $150 an hour; by early 2026, rates had dropped to $50 for experts and as low as $16 for entry-level annotators—below California’s minimum wage. Workers report being rehired on nearly identical projects at lower rates, such as Mercor’s Project Musen to Nova transition, which cut pay from $21 to $16 per hour.
Platforms advertise flexibility, but workers describe being on call at all hours, with team leaders messaging at 3 a.m. to push urgency. Performance is tracked via scores (1–5), with low scorers threatened with removal. A "golden batch" of high-priority tasks is reserved for top performers, fueling competition. Despite promises, promotions to reviewer roles do not increase pay.
Tradeoffs
While AI training offers a potential income stream for displaced creatives, it lacks job security, fair pay, and humane working conditions. Contractors face burnout, with some filing lawsuits over misclassification. The system favors speed and compliance over creativity, undermining the very skills it claims to value. Workers report emotional strain, disrupted family life, and a sense of exploitation.
When to use it
For unemployed media professionals, AI training may provide short-term income, but it is not a sustainable career path. The volatility, low pay, and psychological toll make it a last resort rather than a viable alternative to traditional creative work.
The industry relies on the labor of experienced professionals while treating them as disposable. As one worker noted, the goal is to make the machine more human by making humans more like machines.