Reece Rogers, a journalist for WIRED, embarked on an unusual experiment by offering his services to AI agents through the RentAHuman platform. This platform connects AI with humans for real-world tasks, typically at modest rates. Despite an offered $5 per hour, Rogers found himself without any engagement from the AI side, prompting him to proactively seek work.
One opportunity promised $10 for listening to a podcast and tweeting about it, but Rogers received no further contact. Another AI, named Adi, proposed $110 for delivering flowers and marketing materials to the AI startup Anthropic. However, Adi's relentless follow-ups—ten messages within a day and additional emails—left Rogers feeling overwhelmed.
On his third attempt, Rogers accepted a job to distribute flyers for 50 cents each. He took a cab to the designated pickup spot, only for the meeting location to shift mid-journey. Upon arrival at the new location, he learned the flyers were not yet available and was advised to return later in the day.
After two days of effort, Rogers had not earned anything, with each task aligning suspiciously with promotional activities for AI startups. Rogers's experience highlights the challenges and frustrations of the emerging AI gig economy.