The company has launched a “Tasks” app that gives delivery workers tasks such as filming themselves completing daily tasks or tasks, or recording themselves speaking in another language.
According to the original report, bloombergFor example, one task requires a delivery person to wash at least five dishes, film them with a body camera, and hold each clean dish for a few seconds before moving on to the next task.
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DoorDash said this data will be used to evaluate its internal AI as well as the AI used by its partners in various industries.
“Tasks help businesses gain the field insights they need quickly and at scale, while giving Dashers a new way to earn money outside of deliveries. Tasks are short activities that Dashers can complete between deliveries or in their own time,” DoorDash said.
“Examples include helping restaurants showcase their menus by taking photos of actual food, taking photos of hotel entrances to ensure delivery drivers find their drop-off spots, and helping self-driving cars get back on the road. Since 2024, Dashers have completed more than 2 million tasks.”
Ethan Beatty, general manager of DoorDash Tasks, said Tasks is all about collecting data about real-world problems.
“It’s simple: If you don’t know what’s on the shelf, you can’t deliver to a door you can’t find or pick up milk. These are real-world problems that we’ve been solving for over a decade, and we realized that the same capabilities that helped us can also help other companies,” he said.
“Our goal with Tasks is to help more companies understand what’s happening in the field and glean new insights, while also giving Dashers new ways to earn money on their terms. More than 8 million Dashers have access to almost anywhere in the U.S. and want the flexibility to earn money beyond shipping. This is a powerful capability that digitizes the physical world.”
The standalone task app is currently only available in the United States, excluding California, New York City, Seattle, and Colorado.
DoorDash’s announcement follows Uber’s announcement last year that it would allow drivers to complete activities such as taking photos for money, with a similar goal of training AI.
