How AI is reshaping work and who gets to do it, according to Mercor’s CEO

TechCrunch
2026.01.02 17:36
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Mercor, a three-year-old startup valued at $10 billion, connects AI labs with high-skilled contractors, including former employees from top firms, to enhance AI model training. CEO Brendan Foody discusses the need for expert contractors over crowdsourced labor, the impact of Scale AI's challenges on Mercor's growth, and the future of knowledge work as training data for AI. He emphasizes that the top contractors significantly improve model performance and addresses concerns about corporate secrets.