Uber has started hiring contractors to label data for both internal business units and other companies like Aurora Innovation and Niantic.

Uber Technologies Inc.’s gig-economy workforce now includes programmers. The company is expanding beyond its rideshare roots to enter a hot new market: helping other businesses outsource some of their artificial intelligence development to independent contractors.

Irina Sedenko, principal research director at Info-Tech Research Group, said Uber’s entry into the AI data labeling market will allow it to leverage its experience working with massive datasets and technology platforms to support data processing and model development.

Through its 'Scaled Solutions' division, Uber is expanding its AI initiatives to include Canadian gig workers, offering new jobs in the fast growing field.

Bloomberg reports that Uber has started farming out independent contractors for data-labeling services as well as coders-for-hire. Uber describes its new Scaled Solutions division as a platform of “analysts,