Latest news with #Overcash
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This Texas mom made $8,000 in 3 weeks training AI at her kitchen table. She says it's 'not easy money.'
Amanda Overcash trains AI from home after clocking out from her full-time real estate job. She made nearly $8,000 in three weeks, working long days and nights. Overcash says the work is flexible but demanding, with strict audits and no long-term guarantees. Amanda Overcash, a single mom in Texas, spends her days working in real estate. At night, after her daughter has gone to bed, she opens up her laptop at the kitchen table and starts her second job: training AI. Headphones in and wearing pajamas, Overcash spends hours reviewing chatbot responses, transcribing audio clips, and labeling images. "Sometimes, I'm at the kitchen table until midnight," she told Business Insider. Other nights, she sets a 4 a.m. alarm to fit in an extra hour before her day job. Overcash is part of a global, largely invisible workforce that underpins the AI boom, working to improve how models respond in the real world. While some contract workers training AI have had negative experiences, Overcash says hers has been largely positive. And it can pay well — up to $40 an hour. Last summer, Overcash earned nearly $8,000 in under three weeks from writing and rating chatbot responses. She told BI the job isn't as easy as some people online make it out to be and that it's not a "get rich quick" scheme. Some projects can be demanding, the audit processes can be tough, and juggling it alongside a full-time job can risk burnout. Overcash, who is in her 30s, has spent over six years in the AI data industry and taken on projects like ad moderation, transcription, and prompt evaluation. Like many freelancers in the space, she juggles work across multiple platforms — a setup Business Insider has verified. Platforms like Appen, OneForma, Prolific, Outlier (owned by Scale AI), and Amazon Mechanical Turk rely on freelancers like Overcash to train and test AI models and products. Appen alone has a base of over 1 million contractors in 200 countries, according to its website. Across different platforms and projects, contributors might label satellite images, transcribe voice memos, review chatbot outputs, and even upload pet videos. Pay rates depend on the project and its level of difficulty, Overcash said. "LLM projects usually pay closer to $20 an hour," she said, referring to large language models, which power generative AI, "while social media or transcription ones can be anywhere from $9 to $11. But the LLM stuff is a lot more difficult and extensive." An Appen spokesperson told BI that although the industry is trending away from simpler data annotation tasks to "more complex" generative AI work, "human expertise remains essential to AI model development." Right now, Overcash is working on two main projects. One involves transcribing casual voice memos, clips that sound like WhatsApp messages, often recorded in cafés, cars, or noisy kitchens. "They're supposed to sound natural," she said. "But it's hard sometimes. You hear street noise, people eating, conversations in the background." She's also reviewing social media ads. She opens each one, watches the video or reads the caption, and then answers a series of yes/no questions about nudity, profanity, misleading claims, age appropriateness, and whether she enjoyed the ad. Based on those factors, each ad gets a star rating. She said this type of job is one of her favorites because she doesn't have to second-guess her answers as much. "It's easy work. If you get in a rhythm, you can move fast," she said. Other projects are more intense and demanding. Last summer, Overcash worked up to 16 hours a day on a chatbot evaluation project. She started at $22 an hour, which increased to $40 an hour as the project went on, bringing in nearly $8,000 in under three weeks. (BI has verified copies of her pay slips.) The job involved reviewing chatbot answers to medical questions, political statements, and personal advice and flagging anything misleading or unsafe. "If someone asked about a lump on their breast and the bot didn't tell them to seek medical attention, I had to mark it as unsafe," she said. Overcash recalled working quickly because of strict time limits on prompts, with usually four to six minutes per review. At times, the work can be rewarding. "When you get into the flow, it feels good," Overcash said. "You're focused, you know exactly what you're doing — I like that about it." She also enjoys the variety. "If you're good at transcribing, or labeling, or languages, there's something for you," she said. "Some projects are so easy, I could teach my teenager to do them." But she's clear about the trade-offs. "Forty dollars an hour sounds great, but when you're glued to your laptop all day, it doesn't feel like easy money," she said. "This is still work — and it can be stressful. It's definitely not a fast way to make money." Getting onto projects isn't easy. Overcash said many platforms require rigorous literacy and guideline tests, which are assessments based on lengthy instruction manuals that outline how to rate or label different types of content. Passing them is often required before starting paid work, and getting to that point can take time, especially when there are long waitlists. "It's a grueling process to get on," she said. "Some tests took me days to complete." Once accepted onto a platform, the pressure doesn't let up. Contractors at some companies are audited regularly, she said — sometimes without warning and usually without much feedback. A single failed audit, Overcash said, can cost freelancers access to work for the day — or get them removed entirely from a project. "You think you're doing great," she said. "Then you get hit with a bad test result. If your scores drop, they'll cut you." Overcash said she burned out two years ago and had to reduce her AI side hustle. Now, she sets clearer boundaries to avoid getting overwhelmed. "My rule is I don't work weekends," she said. "Even if I haven't hit my hours." That time, she said, is reserved for her daughter. She said her hours are flexible. "Some days I'll do two hours. Other days I'll hit eight." Not every experience in this space is positive. Overcash said she's mostly had good projects, but she knows the industry can be unpredictable. Some platforms have come under scrutiny. Scale AI, one of the biggest players in the industry, is facing multiple lawsuits from taskers, some of whom say they were exposed to harmful prompts involving suicide, domestic violence, and animal abuse without adequate mental health support. The company is also under investigation by the US Department of Labor for its use of contractors. Scale AI previously told BI it would continue to defend itself against what it sees as false or misleading allegations about its business practices. Overcash said she finds value in the work she does across various platforms. "It's definitely made me sharper. I've gotten better at spotting issues or bias in language just from doing this for so long." Even though the job isn't always easy, it offers what she needs: flexibility, steady income, and control over her time. "It's not a fast way to make money," she said. "But if you get into a rhythm, it helps. It's helped me pay bills, stay afloat, and show up for my daughter." Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at ewebb@ or Signal at efw.40. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
25-04-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
This Texas mom made $8,000 in 3 weeks training AI at her kitchen table. She says it's 'not easy money.'
Amanda Overcash, a single mom in Texas, spends her days working in real estate. At night, after her daughter has gone to bed, she opens up her laptop at the kitchen table and starts her second job: training AI. Headphones in and wearing pajamas, Overcash spends hours reviewing chatbot responses, transcribing audio clips, and labeling images. "Sometimes, I'm at the kitchen table until midnight," she told Business Insider. Other nights, she sets a 4 a.m. alarm to fit in an extra hour before her day job. Overcash is part of a global, largely invisible workforce that underpins the AI boom, working to improve how models respond in the real world. While some contract workers training AI have had negative experiences, Overcash says hers has been largely positive. And it can pay well — up to $40 an hour. Last summer, Overcash earned nearly $8,000 in under three weeks from writing and rating chatbot responses. She told BI the job isn't as easy as some people online make it out to be and that it's not a "get rich quick" scheme. Some projects can be demanding, the audit processes can be tough, and juggling it alongside a full-time job can risk burnout. She juggles various projects on multiple platforms Overcash, who is in her 30s, has spent over six years in the AI data industry and taken on projects like ad moderation, transcription, and prompt evaluation. Like many freelancers in the space, she juggles work across multiple platforms — a setup Business Insider has verified. Platforms like Appen, OneForma, Prolific, Outlier (owned by Scale AI), and Amazon Mechanical Turk rely on freelancers like Overcash to train and test AI models and products. Appen alone has a base of over 1 million contractors in 200 countries, according to its website. Across different platforms and projects, contributors might label satellite images, transcribe voice memos, review chatbot outputs, and even upload pet videos. Pay rates depend on the project and its level of difficulty, Overcash said. "LLM projects usually pay closer to $20 an hour," she said, referring to large language models, which power generative AI, "while social media or transcription ones can be anywhere from $9 to $11. But the LLM stuff is a lot more difficult and extensive." An Appen spokesperson told BI that although the industry is trending away from simpler data annotation tasks to "more complex" generative AI work, "human expertise remains essential to AI model development." She reviews chatbot answers, voice memos, and social media ads Right now, Overcash is working on two main projects. One involves transcribing casual voice memos, clips that sound like WhatsApp messages, often recorded in cafés, cars, or noisy kitchens. "They're supposed to sound natural," she said. "But it's hard sometimes. You hear street noise, people eating, conversations in the background." She's also reviewing social media ads. She opens each one, watches the video or reads the caption, and then answers a series of yes/no questions about nudity, profanity, misleading claims, age appropriateness, and whether she enjoyed the ad. Based on those factors, each ad gets a star rating. She said this type of job is one of her favorites because she doesn't have to second-guess her answers as much. "It's easy work. If you get in a rhythm, you can move fast," she said. She made nearly $8,000 in 3 weeks Other projects are more intense and demanding. Last summer, Overcash worked up to 16 hours a day on a chatbot evaluation project. She started at $22 an hour, which increased to $40 an hour as the project went on, bringing in nearly $8,000 in under three weeks. (BI has verified copies of her pay slips.) The job involved reviewing chatbot answers to medical questions, political statements, and personal advice and flagging anything misleading or unsafe. "If someone asked about a lump on their breast and the bot didn't tell them to seek medical attention, I had to mark it as unsafe," she said. Overcash recalled working quickly because of strict time limits on prompts, with usually four to six minutes per review. 'It doesn't feel like easy money' At times, the work can be rewarding. "When you get into the flow, it feels good," Overcash said. "You're focused, you know exactly what you're doing — I like that about it." She also enjoys the variety. "If you're good at transcribing, or labeling, or languages, there's something for you," she said. "Some projects are so easy, I could teach my teenager to do them." But she's clear about the trade-offs. "Forty dollars an hour sounds great, but when you're glued to your laptop all day, it doesn't feel like easy money," she said. "This is still work — and it can be stressful. It's definitely not a fast way to make money." The onboarding and audits are tough Getting onto projects isn't easy. Overcash said many platforms require rigorous literacy and guideline tests, which are assessments based on lengthy instruction manuals that outline how to rate or label different types of content. Passing them is often required before starting paid work, and getting to that point can take time, especially when there are long waitlists. "It's a grueling process to get on," she said. "Some tests took me days to complete." Once accepted onto a platform, the pressure doesn't let up. Contractors at some companies are audited regularly, she said — sometimes without warning and usually without much feedback. A single failed audit, Overcash said, can cost freelancers access to work for the day — or get them removed entirely from a project. "You think you're doing great," she said. "Then you get hit with a bad test result. If your scores drop, they'll cut you." She balances multiple jobs, but knows her limits Overcash said she burned out two years ago and had to reduce her AI side hustle. Now, she sets clearer boundaries to avoid getting overwhelmed. "My rule is I don't work weekends," she said. "Even if I haven't hit my hours." That time, she said, is reserved for her daughter. She said her hours are flexible. "Some days I'll do two hours. Other days I'll hit eight." Not every experience in this space is positive. Overcash said she's mostly had good projects, but she knows the industry can be unpredictable. Some platforms have come under scrutiny. Scale AI, one of the biggest players in the industry, is facing multiple lawsuits from taskers, some of whom say they were exposed to harmful prompts involving suicide, domestic violence, and animal abuse without adequate mental health support. The company is also under investigation by the US Department of Labor for its use of contractors. Scale AI previously told BI it would continue to defend itself against what it sees as false or misleading allegations about its business practices. Overcash said she finds value in the work she does across various platforms. "It's definitely made me sharper. I've gotten better at spotting issues or bias in language just from doing this for so long." Even though the job isn't always easy, it offers what she needs: flexibility, steady income, and control over her time. "It's not a fast way to make money," she said. "But if you get into a rhythm, it helps. It's helped me pay bills, stay afloat, and show up for my daughter."
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senator Overcash, you know me. Why are you erasing me?
Image: iStock/Getty Images Dear Senator Overcash: I shouldn't need to re-introduce myself to you, but I'm Paige Sullivan. I'm a native and lifelong resident of North Carolina. I'm also transgender and a former classmate of yours. We shared the same public school hallways for twelve years. We had many of the same teachers, though never in the same classroom at the same time. I write to you today, standing up not only for myself, but thousands of transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary, intersex North Carolinians, and families with transgender children. Since we already know each other, let's keep this casual. Brad, what are you doing? I was shocked when I saw your name on this bill. You were always a go-getter in school, but I never thought you'd put your name on a bathroom bill like Senate Bill 516. Have you considered the implications of the bills you have sponsored? Can you all please explain to us how a person with a beard and a deep voice, who's been on testosterone, belongs in the women's room? What protections would you offer a transgender woman who is forced to use the men's room? What will happen when someone needs to take their child or aging relative to the restroom and of a different gender? There are many other scenarios to consider, and this bill will hurt many people. Secondly, why is there a restriction on changing our birth certificates and driver's licenses? Is that a personal dig at me, perchance? It's no one's business, especially the government's, of what's between our legs. On top of that, you have no idea how the transition process works. For me, it has taken the better part of twenty years. I've had psychological evaluations, relating directly to my gender identity, by doctors over a few years. I've been on estradiol injections for twelve years. I've had five surgeries. You don't just walk into a clinic and have reassignment surgery. Okay, let's move on to Senate Bill 227. By banning DEI programs, you're not eliminating bias but codifying it. Students deserve to learn the full scope of American history, including the lives of Black, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, and immigrant communities. Silencing these narratives doesn't protect kids—it denies them the tools to understand the world they're growing up in. We went to overwhelmingly 'white' schools, but you had at least three racial minorities in your graduating class. Maybe you should ask them what they think of this bill. Explain to them that because they are a racial minority, other kids shouldn't learn about their history or struggles for freedom and equal rights. What's the real reason? Brad, I know you are better than this. Stand on the right side of history. Don't let party politics close your eyes to the harm these bills will cause. Think of your Christian beliefs. Would Jesus stand for this? I invite you to read Matthew 25:34-35, Luke 14:13, and the many teachings that call us toward justice and mercy. I'm not asking you to change overnight. I'm asking you to listen, to remember who I am, and to lead with compassion. We were taught in civics class that we are equal—did you forget that? Would you like me to contact some of our former teachers to provide a refresher course on the foundational documents of our country and state? I know one who would do it in a heartbeat for you. Brad, you and I learned the same lessons about fairness, equality, and civic responsibility. I'm not asking for a debate. I'm asking for humanity. You may not accept my meeting request, but I hope you'll receive this: Laws like SB 516 and SB 227 harm real people. And now, you still have the chance to choose compassion over cruelty.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NC bill would limit ‘divisive concepts' on college campuses as part of GOP anti-DEI push
The campus of UNC-Chapel Hill (Photo: Clayton Henkel/NC Newsline) Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are looking to define a range of 'discriminatory practices' and 'divisive concepts' on college campuses through a new bill, the latest in of a series of efforts by GOP leadership to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion from all sectors of government. Senate Bill 558, led by a trio of Republicans including the Senate leader, would seek to expand on a ban on DEI practices already put in place by the UNC System Board of Governors. While the bill is entitled 'Eliminating 'DEI' in Public Higher Education,' sponsor Sen. Brad Overcash (R-Gaston) argued that the measure does not bar diversity, equity and inclusion nor seek to define it. Rather, it defines a range of 'divisive concepts' and 'discriminatory practices' that campuses are forbidden from endorsing or affirming — including treating a person differently 'solely to advantage or disadvantage that individual.' The language is almost identical to a similar bill applying to K-12 public schools, which has passed the Senate. Those practices and programming have 'divided our campus, divided our student bodies, divided our faculties, along lines that are unnecessary and unproductive,' said Overcash. But critics of the bill warned Wednesday that as written, it could have wide-reaching impacts on scholarship programs for minority and rural students, as well as potentially chilling classroom discussions about race and other subjects. 'The problem is, they're defined in vague and sweeping terms,' Sen. Caleb Theodros (D-Mecklenburg) said during a Senate Education Committee hearing. 'It's not really based on the intent, it's interpretation.' Sen. Sophia Chitlik (D-Durham) raised questions (see the video above) about wording in the bill that purports to ban 'DEI' initiatives without ever defining what the term refers to. And Reighlah Collins, policy counsel for the ACLU of North Carolina, said the bill would hurt recruitment efforts and 'result in censorship of curricula.' Republican sponsors pushed back on those lines of criticism. Overcash said he believed scholarship programs were 'apples and oranges' compared to the practices and ideas in the crosshairs of the bill. But the chair of the committee, Sen. Michael Lee (R-Hanover), urged members to get in touch if they were concerned about specific items in the list of 'divisive concepts.' 'Please come and talk to us so we make sure we understand the impact of that in this particular bill,' Lee said. The bill would require both the State Board of Community Colleges and the UNC System Board of Governors to adopt new DEI policies to comply with the new regulations. In May 2024, the UNC System board voted to repeal its DEI policy, replacing it with a statement of 'principled neutrality.' Months later, the university had eliminated at least 59 positions in response. And shortly after the Trump administration took office this year and purported to ban DEI through executive order, the university stopped requiring DEI general education courses, the Raleigh News & Observer reported. Other states have pushed for similar restrictions on both K-12 schools and higher education. Last year, Alabama passed a sweeping anti-DEI law for public schools that included a ban on affirming or endorsing 'divisive concepts'; two years prior, Georgia passed a similar law. And other bills with similar language have been introduced by Republican lawmakers in Missouri and Kansas, according to a tracker by Education Week. The bill, which was approved by the Education Committee, now heads to the Senate Rules Committee.
