DoorDash has always been in the business of getting things from point A to point B. Now, it wants to use that same network to do something far more ambitious — train artificial intelligence. The company has launched a standalone app called Tasks, and it is changing the way gig workers earn money in ways that go well beyond food delivery.
What the DoorDash Tasks App Actually Does
At its core, the Tasks app gives DoorDash couriers — known as Dashers — access to a new category of paid work that has nothing to do with dropping off a burrito. Tasks available through the app include recording unscripted conversations in Spanish, filming household chores like loading a dishwasher or folding clothes, and completing other digital assignments designed to generate real-world data for AI model training.
The work is deliberately varied. Some tasks are location-based, while others can be completed anywhere with a smartphone. The common thread is data — specifically, the kind of grounded, real-world data that AI companies are desperate to get their hands on.
DoorDash is tapping its massive contractor workforce to meet an insatiable demand for unique datasets sought after by companies needing to train specialized AI models. It is not alone in making this move. Uber and Instacart have made similar moves in the past year, following in the footsteps of companies like Scale AI in using networks of remote workers to create new data or validate AI outputs.
How DoorDash Is Already Using Its Couriers for AI Work
The Tasks app is only part of the picture. New digital tasks are also being embedded directly into the existing Dasher delivery app, blurring the line between courier and data contributor. These include
- Taking real photos of restaurant dishes to populate digital menus with accurate, up-to-date imagery
- Photographing hotel entrances and drop-off points to improve navigation accuracy for future deliveries
- Scanning supermarket shelves for real-time inventory checks
- Closing the doors of Waymo self-driving vehicles as part of DoorDash’s existing robotaxi pilot program
That last point is telling. DoorDash has been building toward a multi-modal future of delivery that includes human couriers, delivery robots, sidewalk bots, and drones — all orchestrated by AI. The Tasks program feeds directly into that vision, using human workers to generate the training data that will eventually power the autonomous systems designed to work alongside them.
Why This Matters Beyond the Gig Economy
The launch of DoorDash Tasks reflects a broader shift happening across the tech industry. AI models are only as good as the data they are trained on, and the race to collect high-quality, real-world datasets has never been more intense.
DoorDash has more than 8 million Dashers who can reach almost anywhere in the United States — a logistical footprint that gives the company a significant edge in digitizing the physical world at scale. That reach is valuable not just for delivering food, but for capturing the kind of granular, on-the-ground data that no lab environment can replicate.
For Dashers, the opportunity is straightforward — more ways to earn on their own schedule without being tied to a delivery route. For DoorDash, it is a strategic play that turns an existing labor network into a competitive AI asset.
Where the Tasks App Is Available Right Now
The rollout is selective for now. The Tasks app and in-app task listings are currently available in select areas across the United States, with notable exclusions
- California
- New York City
- Seattle
- Colorado
DoorDash has confirmed plans to expand into additional task types and new countries in the future, suggesting the program is designed to scale significantly beyond its current form.
What Comes Next for DoorDash and AI
DoorDash’s autonomous delivery platform is designed to make logistical decisions automatically — determining whether a given order is better suited for a human courier, a delivery robot, a sidewalk bot, or a drone, based on the mountains of delivery data the company has gathered across more than 10 billion deliveries.
The Tasks program is the latest piece of that puzzle. As DoorDash continues to invest in grocery delivery, AI chatbots, and autonomous logistics, the line between gig work and AI infrastructure is only going to get thinner. For the millions of Americans already driving for DoorDash, that shift is already underway — one task at a time.
Source: Tech Crunch
