{
  "id": 15421066,
  "title": "AI companies scraped the web. Now they want to learn how you work.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/ai-companies-scraped-the-web-now-they-want-to-learn-how-you-work",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-18T14:00:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-workplace-data-training-agents-robots"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The AI industry has been collecting vast amounts of data from the web. Now, the focus is shifting towards something even more valuable: data that showcases how humans operate in various settings. Business Insider's new series, \"The AI Data Grab,\" delves into this trend, highlighting three recent stories.\n\nThe first story, written by Charles Rollet, Tom Carter, and Stephen Council, examines the booming market for company records. AI firms are now offering businesses substantial sums of money, ranging from six to seven figures, for anonymized data such as Slack messages, emails, presentations, and internal documents. The primary objective is to train AI systems on how people tackle problems, collaborate, make decisions, and carry out complex, multi-step tasks. These real-world workflows are becoming the fuel for the upcoming generation of AI agents.\n\nThe second story, authored by Melia Robinson, explores how law firms are developing AI systems based on years of legal knowledge. Instead of solely relying on off-the-shelf AI models and tools, these firms are leveraging their own experience to gain a competitive edge. This approach allows them to create AI systems that are tailored to their specific needs and preferences.\n\nThe third piece, penned by Rya Jetha, reveals how AI companies pay individuals to record real-world work scenarios. This includes tasks like cooking dinners and packing warehouses, with the aim of teaching robots how humans perform everyday physical tasks. By capturing these everyday activities, AI systems can gain a better understanding of how humans work, enabling them to assist us in doing our jobs more efficiently and effectively.\n\nTogether, these stories illustrate a significant shift in AI development. While the first wave of generative AI was primarily focused on creating larger models and faster chips, the next phase involves machines gaining a deeper understanding of how work is accomplished. By harnessing human workflows, AI can provide valuable support and enhance our productivity.",
  "summary": "AI firms are paying for company records and recordings of human work. Business Insider explores the data race powering AI agents and robots.",
  "key_points": [
    "AI companies buying company data to train new AI agents",
    "Law firms creating customized AI systems using internal knowledge",
    "Individuals paid to record everyday tasks for robot training"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}