OpenAI's Data Grab Raises Eyebrows Among Contract Workers
OpenAI Asks Contractors for Real Work Samples
Artificial intelligence labs are getting creative—and potentially risky—in their quest for high-quality training data. According to a Wired report, OpenAI and its partner Handshake AI have begun asking third-party contractors to submit actual case studies from their professional work history.
The Fine Print Behind the Request
The unusual request came during company briefings where contractors were instructed to detail tasks from past and current jobs. More strikingly, they were asked to upload "actual work examples"—not summaries, but complete files including:
- Word documents
- PDF reports
- PowerPoint presentations
- Excel spreadsheets
- Code repositories
"This isn't about hypothetical scenarios," explains one industry analyst who requested anonymity. "They want the real deal—the actual documents people create in professional settings."
Walking the Privacy Tightrope
OpenAI provides contractors with a specialized cleaning tool (dubbed ChatGPT "star cleaning" tool) to remove proprietary information and personally identifiable data before submission. But here's where things get legally murky.
Evan Brown, an intellectual property attorney interviewed by Wired, minced no words: "Any AI lab doing this is playing with fire." His concern? The system relies entirely on contractors properly identifying what constitutes confidential information—a judgment call that could easily go wrong.
"Imagine a marketing consultant submitting campaign materials," Brown illustrates. "They might redact client names but leave in proprietary market research methodologies. That's a lawsuit waiting to happen."
Why This Matters Now
The move signals how fiercely AI companies are competing for quality training data as they push into automating white-collar work. Traditional web scraping can't provide the nuanced examples needed to train models for complex professional tasks.
But at what cost? Legal experts warn that even with cleaning tools:
- Human error in redaction remains likely
- Defining "proprietary" varies across industries
- The burden of compliance falls disproportionately on individual contractors
The controversy comes as no surprise to those watching OpenAI's aggressive data acquisition strategies. Just last quarter, the company faced criticism for allegedly scraping private Slack conversations between engineers at tech firms.
When reached for comment, an OpenAI spokesperson declined to elaborate on the contractor program or address legal concerns directly.
Key Points:
- 🚨 OpenAI requests actual work files (not summaries) from contractors
- 🛡️ Provides cleaning tools but relies on contractor judgment
- ⚖️ Legal experts call the approach high-risk
- 📈 Reflects intense competition for quality training data