This AI startup will clean your home for free to train future robots | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.This AI startup will clean your home for free to train future robotsNotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...AICloseAIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AINewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechThis AI startup will clean your home for free to train future robotsShift says a ‘magic hat’ will record its cleaners working inside your home.Shift says a ‘magic hat’ will record its cleaners working inside your home.by Robert HartCloseRobert HartAI ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Robert HartMay 29, 2026, 11:58 AM UTCLinkShareGiftScreenshot: ShiftRobert HartCloseRobert HartPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Robert Hart is a London-based reporter at The Verge covering all things AI and a Senior Tarbell Fellow. Previously, he wrote about health, science and tech for Forbes.AI training startup Shift wants to clean your home for free. The catch — because, despite what its website says, there’s always a catch — is that it will record cleaners as they scrub, vacuum, dust, tidy, and wash, and use that footage to train robots.Shift announced the unusual offer on social media on Thursday, explaining that the value of the training data generated from the cleanings is more than enough to fund the service. As its website puts it: “You get a spotless apartment. We get training data. Everyone wins.”A promotional video shows a cleaner in a crisp white uniform and awkward-looking hat (more on that later) washing windows, mopping and vacuuming floors, scrubbing dishes, and wiping down counters. According to Shift’s co-CEO and co-founder Bercan Kilic, this “magic hat” is what records the work. Peak fashion it is not, but it does contain a camera that captures footage from the cleaner’s point of view.Footage from inside your home is, of course, what you’re paying for the cleaning service with. On its website, Shift says customers’ “privacy is fully protected,” with sensitive details like names, faces, or personal information from screens and ID cards blurred and anonymized before being used for AI training. Shift says its cleaners are also vetted by its partners, though stresses they are not Shift employees.“Every home cleaned today lays the groundwork for a home that cleans itself tomorrow,” the company says in the video. As it happens, the dirtier the better. An FAQ on the company’s website says “more challenging cleaning environments can be especially useful.” There are limits, however, and cleaners “may decline any specific task they are not comfortable performing.”The service is initially only available in New York, but Kilic says it will be available “very soon” in San Francisco, London, Zurich, and Munich. The free cleanings are only available for a “limited time,” but the model fits within a growing market for recordings of human tasks that can be used to train AI systems and robots. Shift says it already pays tens of thousands of people across 15 countries to record their activities through its app.Cleaning may only be the start. Shift’s video says it eventually plans to move into other areas like plumbing, cooking, and building.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Robert HartCloseRobert HartAI ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Robert HartAICloseAIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AINewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsRobotCloseRobotPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All RobotTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechMost PopularMost PopularKia’s flagship EV has a battery problemThe golden age of handheld gaming is already overThey’ve finally made the Oura Ring smaller and lighterValve raises Steam Deck prices by more than $200What’s next for Microsoft’s Surface PCs?The Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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An AI training startup named Shift offers a free service to clean homes in exchange for valuable data to train future robots. The core concept involves equipping cleaners with a device, referred to as a "magic hat," which records their work from their own perspective while they clean, scrubbing, vacuuming, dusting, and washing. Shift argues that the training data generated from these cleanings holds sufficient value to fund the service, framing the exchange as a win-win scenario: customers receive a spotless apartment, and Shift acquires essential training data.

Shift addresses privacy concerns by stating that customer privacy is fully protected; sensitive information such as names, faces, and details on screens or ID cards are blurred and anonymized before the footage is used for AI training. The company posits that every home cleaned contributes to the development of a future self-cleaning environment, suggesting that dirtier or more challenging cleaning environments may prove particularly useful for training the AI systems. While the service is currently limited to New York, the company plans to expand its availability to cities including San Francisco, London, Zurich, and Munich.

Shift emphasizes that this service is not just about cleaning; the long-term goal involves applying this technology to other domains, with plans extending into areas such as plumbing, cooking, and building. Furthermore, the company has an established infrastructure for data collection, currently paying tens of thousands of individuals across fifteen countries to record their activities through their application. This initiative fits within a broader market trend involving the recording of human tasks for the purpose of training artificial intelligence and robotic systems.