Ever heard of mturking? Probably not. But this is one of the earlier trysts I personally have had with online earnings. MTurk in an example of Amazon's "machine/human computing arrangement" where they cash in on tasks that humans perform better than computers. That's right! They've resorted back to hiring us lowly humans to carry out menial online tasks, that we do... even better than computers. And now they've patented the concept.
Is this the stuff nightmares are made of? Perhaps it is.
Wanna see it in action? Check out www.mturk.com
Humans Outsmart Computers
Amazon Patents Humans Assisting Computers
Trend Themes
1. Human-assisted Computing - Opportunity to develop platforms that combine the strengths of humans and computers to perform tasks more efficiently.
2. Crowdsourcing - Potential for businesses to tap into the power of a globally distributed workforce to complete various tasks and projects.
3. Task Economy - Emerging marketplaces that connect individuals who need tasks done with those who are willing to complete them for a fee.
Industry Implications
1. E-commerce - Opportunity for online retailers to implement human-assisted computing to improve product recommendations, customer service, and fraud detection.
2. Artificial Intelligence - Potential for AI companies to leverage human-assisted computing to train and improve their algorithms for better performance and accuracy.
3. Platform Economy - Development of platforms that facilitate crowdsourcing and allow businesses to easily access a diverse pool of human talent.