Outlier

Meet Scott O’Neil. By day, Scott works in plumbing sales in Louisiana. He solves complex problems for contractors and homeowners. By night, he is helping build the future of AI. When Scott’s family grew, he looked for a way to stay connected to his technical roots. He also wanted to earn supplemental income on a flexible schedule. He found that balance at Outlier. For Scott, this work provides several key benefits: Mental Sharpness: Scott says that the tasks make him think deeper. He uses the reasoning skills from his web development background to evaluate and refine AI responses. Constant Learning: Every task is an opportunity to grow. He researches unfamiliar topics and collaborates with a global community. Family First: The flexibility of the AI data economy allows Scott to fund family vacations and hobbies. Most importantly, he's able to be there for the important moments with his wife and daughters. Scott is one of the many "people behind the models." He brings his unique lived experience and professional judgment to ensure AI is accurate, helpful, and human-informed. Check out Scott’s full story on the Scale AI blog: https://lnkd.in/gNb5jTSC

From healthcare and climate science to engineering and mathematics, AI is accelerating discovery across the STEM world. But that progress doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It relies on domain experts who bring rigor, context, and real-world judgment into the loop. At Outlier, STEM experts help train and evaluate AI systems by: • Reviewing AI-generated reasoning • Stress-testing logic and problem-solving • Providing feedback grounded in real scientific and technical knowledge AI brings scale. STEM brings precision. Together, they create better, more reliable systems — and open up flexible ways for experts to contribute directly to the future of AI. If you’re curious about how STEM expertise powers AI development (and how experts get involved), we break it all down here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/gtYxh-NW

🚀 Calling all Radiologists: We’re looking for skilled professionals to join paid radiology projects at Outlier and help shape the future of healthcare AI with real impact. Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gFpSxbfD Whether you interpret scans, consult on workflows, or review imaging patterns, your expertise is crucial. Join a global community of clinicians powering high-quality medical AI data.

We surveyed Outlier Experts (PhD students and domain specialists) to find the podcasts, YouTube channels, and newsletters they rely on to stay at the research frontier. The pattern was clear: 🔬 Peer-reviewed research first, supplemented by a small set of high-quality media. From Lex Fridman and 3Blue1Brown to MIT OpenCourseWare and arXiv alerts, these are the resources top researchers actually use. 👉 Read the full list here: https://lnkd.in/gamc4S7x

AI doesn’t build itself. It’s shaped by the experts behind the data. That’s why we built the Outlier Marketplace: a live hub that gives contributors more choice, visibility, and control over their work. Instead of relying only on automatic matching, contributors can: • See open opportunities in real time • Review requirements upfront • Choose projects that align with their skills and availability Better alignment means better outcomes, both for contributors and for AI quality. The Marketplace is live for most contributors and continuing to roll out. 👉 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g-8htEib

The holidays look different for everyone, and that’s exactly what makes them meaningful. We asked Outlier contributors around the world to share how they celebrate the season, and they delivered: tiny trees, big breakfasts, DIY decorations, meaningful cultural traditions, and plenty of beautifully real moments in between. Our latest blog post is a cozy scroll through the lives behind the work, told in contributors’ own words. Proof that there’s no single right way to do the holidays (other than letting the dog sit under the tree). Read the full piece here 👉 https://lnkd.in/geFBzP6c

Aether continues to be shaped by the people showing up and doing the work with care, even during a busy holiday season. We’ve seen contributors take time to learn the guidelines, ask thoughtful questions, and support each other when things feel unclear. That kind of attentiveness goes a long way. We’re grateful to everyone who has contributed time and shared feedback. It helps us keep learning and moving thoughtfully forward. Thank you to the Outlier community for the effort and intention you bring. Wishing you lots of warmth this holiday season.

Another lucky Aether contributor is about to win our $10,000 grand prize 🎉 The raffle is still live, and you can keep tasking through Sunday at 11:59 PM PT. After that, we’ll wrap up entries and announce the winner. Appreciate everyone who’s been showing up and contributing — good luck!

When we talk about the future of AI, we’re also talking about the future of work. This new Oxford Economics report commissioned by Scale AI highlights what we see every day at Outlier: data annotation is foundational to AI and a meaningful source of flexible earning opportunities across the U.S. Contributors bring real expertise into AI while fitting work around caregiving, studies, health needs, and full-time careers. That flexibility is what makes participation possible for so many people. AI is built by humans. And the people behind it matter.

It started with one simple prompt: What song powered your work today? We dropped it into the community, expecting a handful of replies. Instead, more than a thousand people showed up. People across countries and time zones shared the music they work to, reset to, and keep on repeat. Focus tracks. Comfort songs. Throwbacks. Deep cuts. Not something one person could curate. It only works because a community built it together. We collected every submission and stitched them into one living soundtrack. It's chaotic and cohesive in the best way. Sharing it during Chanukah feels especially fitting. Small sparks, shared widely, can turn into real light 🕎 Give it a listen here: https://lnkd.in/gX4VAJfq