Would you teach AI how to do your job?

Not just anyone can work for Mercor, an AI startup valued at $10 billion. Applicants have to demonstrate their abilities in the interview process. And you might work on the same project for weeks or even months. The vast list of subject-area experts Mercor seeks includes astronomers, psychologists, industrial engineers, filmmakers, creative writers, comedians, legal experts, investment bankers and venture capitalists. A dermatologist can make as much as $250 an hour helping a healthcare partner develop its “decision-support tools.” Poets who “enhance AI’s understanding of poetic structure, literary nuance and emotional expression” can earn as much as $150 an hour. Mercor hired over 30,000 contractors in 2025 to work on projects for some of the largest AI companies. Clients have included OpenAI and Anthropic. Economic uncertainty, tariffs and a wait-and-see approach regarding the extent to which AI can handle tasks have all contributed to a growing unemployment rate, which in November hit its highest level in four years. White-collar workers are finding themselves applying to hundreds of jobs. For many, that now includes gigs with Mercor. Caption from article by Katherine Bindley, WSJ. Supported by funding from Omidyar Network.