Is AI training legit? What to check before you sign up

Last updated: October 20, 2026

Yes. AI companies need experts to test and correct their models, and they pay AI training platforms to find and manage those experts. The platforms pay you for your work, by the hour or per task. Every platform on this site is a real company, and our links take you to their official websites. Scam websites copy AI training platforms, so check any other offer before you sign up. A real platform never asks you to pay.

Woman at a laptop in a cafe, thinking with her hand at her mouth

How do we know AI training is real?

AI labs work openly with experts. OpenAI built its GDPval benchmark with professionals who had 14 years of experience on average, including financial managers and investment analysts.
Mercor's APEX benchmark was written by practicing professionals, including bankers from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan.
The largest platforms are valued in the billions of dollars. See the figures on What is AI training?
Members of our team have worked on several projects across different platforms and were always paid on time.

How do you tell a real platform from a scam?

	Real platform	Scam
How it starts	You apply on the platform's website, or a recruiter contacts you by email or LinkedIn	An unexpected message on WhatsApp, Telegram or SMS
Screening	A CV, an interview with webcam and sometimes screen sharing, and often a test	No real interview, or only a chat
Identity check	An ID scan in the platform or through a provider such as Persona or Deel	Requests for login codes or remote access to your computer
Pay	Expert rates, paid through Stripe, Deel, PayPal or Wise	Too much for too little ("$300 a day for liking videos"), often in crypto
Money from you	Never	A fee for registration, training or "activation", or a balance you can't withdraw without paying first
Accounts	One personal account in your own name	Offers to buy, rent or share an approved account

Scams like these are rising. In the US, reported losses to job scams rose from $90 million in 2020 to $501 million in 2024. Reports of task scams went from about 5,000 in all of 2023 to about 20,000 in the first half of 2024. Scammers also use names and web addresses that look like real platforms.

What is normal on a real platform?

Some things may feel odd the first time, but they are normal:

an AI interviewer instead of a person
a time tracker that takes screenshots now and then while you log hours for client project work
a US tax form, such as the W-8BEN for contractors outside the US
not knowing which AI company a role is for when you apply. You usually find out once the project starts.
silence after you apply, sometimes for weeks, until a project needs your profile

How do you protect your data?

upload documents only on the platform's own website or its verification provider
share only what the official application asks for
use a unique password for each platform, and turn on two-factor authentication where the platform offers it
expect a verification email right after you sign up or log in. If one arrives out of the blue, don't click the link. Log in on the platform's website yourself and check there.
never upload documents from your employer or clients

Frequently asked questions

Are the platforms on this site legit?

Yes. They are large companies that work with thousands of experts, and you can check that yourself. Search their name in the news, look at their company page and staff on LinkedIn, and read what contractors write about them on Trustpilot or Reddit. Members of our team have worked on projects for several of them. Compare them on our Companies page.

Someone on LinkedIn offered me AI training work. Is it real?

It can be, because platforms do recruit on LinkedIn. Don't apply through the link they send. Go to the platform's website yourself and apply there.

Your next step

Step 4: Choose a platform