MIT Technology Review: Gig Workers Training Humanoid Robots from Home — The Data Labor Behind the Robot Revolution

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MIT Technology Review published an investigation into the growing gig economy of workers training humanoid robots from their homes, strapping iPhones to their foreheads and performing tasks for robot learning datasets. Named a 2026 Breakthrough Technology, the piece profiles workers in Nigeria and elsewhere earning income by providing movement data that trains physical AI systems. The story highlights the hidden human labor infrastructure powering the robotics boom.