AI Agent Startups Integrate Human Workers for Complex Tasks
AI startups Dazzle AI, Duckbill, and Wajo AI are using human contractors to handle complex digital tasks that current foundation models cannot reliably execute.
Several AI agent startups, including Dazzle AI, Duckbill, and Wajo AI, are integrating human contractors to complete complex tasks that current foundation models cannot reliably execute. These tasks include making phone calls, scheduling appointments, and solving CAPTCHA tests, which often present digital roadblocks that AI lacks the common sense or technical capability to navigate.
Marissa Mayer of Dazzle AI and Meghan Joyce of Duckbill state that while models from OpenAI and Meta excel at information retrieval, they often fail at real-world execution. To address this, Duckbill launched an API that allows other agent developers to outsource these atomic tasks to vetted human workers. Wajo AI similarly incorporates human workers to manage phone calls and security tests.
The startups argue that a human-in-the-loop approach is a necessary transition to ensure service reliability and prevent users from abandoning the technology due to AI failures. While Meta previously tested human contractors for its Muse agent, a company spokesperson stated that Meta does not currently use humans to fulfill user requests.
