Meet the Part-Time AI Whisperer
Our Bureau
London
In the riveting world of gig-economy heroics, we find a UK-based entrepreneur of Indian descent, who must have accidentally stumbled into a time machine—or at the very least, a high-paying side gig. Utkarsh Amitabh, the 34-year-old Houdini of multitasking, is pulling in a staggering $200 (that’s Rs 18,000 for those still counting pennies) per hour training AI models. Since January, he’s accumulated nearly $300,000 (or Rs 2.69 crore, if you prefer) through the data-labeling startup, micro1. Yes, in just six months, he could fund a fancy car or several years of therapy sessions for your average existential crisis.
Parenting and PhD-ing Like a Pro
Amitabh juggles more roles than a circus performer. When he’s not moonlighting as an AI trainer, he’s knee-deep in PhD research at Oxford Saïd Business School, lecturing, authoring tomes, and running Network Capital—a global mentorship platform. Oh, and let’s not forget the delightful chaos of parenting a one-year-old. You can practically hear the nursery rhymes blending in with his financial modeling discussions. Quite the versatile Swiss Army knife, isn’t he?
The Newborn Crunch
Approached by micro1 while he was knee-deep in diaper duties, Amitabh couldn’t resist the siren call of a job that aligned with his diverse expertise in business strategy and tech. Driven by “intellectual curiosity” (because who wouldn’t be curious when staring at a wall of baby toys?), he carved out around 3.5 hours a night post-nap time to give his keen mind a workout. This isn’t just a side gig for him—oh no! It’s a delightful extension of his interests. So, let’s just say, while most of us are binge-watching Netflix in our free time, he’s mastering the digital future.
The Credential Buffet
Amitabh’s resume reads like a brag sheet for an overachiever on steroids. With an undergrad in mechanical engineering, a master’s from Oxford in moral philosophy, and a half-decade at Microsoft specializing in cloud computing and AI partnerships, it’s safe to say he’s more qualified than all of us combined to talk about refrigerator magnets. He even penned a book on the “side-hustle revolution” — because normal jobs are so last century.
The Art of Detail and Irony
The role involves “immense attention to detail,” which sounds suspiciously like a euphemism for spotting errors in an AI model while sipping lukewarm coffee. As Amitabh deftly identifies human or machine mistakes, he’s sharpening not just his knowledge but his creativity as well. Imagine trying to teach a robot to understand sarcasm while he’s simultaneously deciphering toddler gibberish.
Money: Just the Icing on the Cake
For Amitabh, it seems the cash is merely a delightful bonus rather than a motivation. He describes his earnings as “respectable” for expert work. (Translation: ‘I could pay my rent with this, but let’s keep it modest, folks.’) A self-proclaimed “techno-optimist and techno-realist,” he waves off the AI “doom” fears, insisting that the dire predictions are just party tricks. According to World Economic Forum projections, we’ve got 78 million net job gains heading our way by 2030. So, buck up and brush up on your skills, or you might just find yourself talking to one of those robots in the unemployment line!
Conclusion: Up your Game or Get Left Behind
In the grand tapestry of our rapidly evolving world, where robots train the robots while we stare blankly into the void, it’s refreshing to see someone like Amitabh who refuses to panic. He believes AI will do “far more good than bad”—a sentiment that might just send shivers down the spines of those who equate AI with world domination. So, take a note from the multitasking master: whether you’re labeling data for a few extra bucks or contemplating a career change, embrace the chaos, upskill, and maybe—just maybe—you too can turn your side gig into a small fortune. Or at the very least, a very fancy cup of coffee.
