Even doctors are being called in

Because of San Francisco's high cost of living and student loan burdens, some specialists and physicians are taking up AI model training work as side jobs.

• Mercor and Handshake are recruiting doctors to write medical prompts, evaluate responses, and refine clinical standards.
• One doctor said that even while earning about $375,000 a year in salary, they needed extra income because of $400,000 in student loans and living expenses.
• Another doctor reportedly earns $150-200 per hour from AI training.
• According to the article, healthcare is an industry that spends roughly $5 trillion annually, and McKinsey estimates AI and automation could generate savings of $200 billion to $360 billion.
• Medical AI requires verification by board-certified doctors due to safety and legal liability concerns, increasing demand for personnel with hands-on hospital experience.
• Handshake has also begun offering a year-round AI fellowship for doctors.

Doctors are taking part in this work not just for short-term income but also to ease burnout and to get a firsthand look at the AI trend, and the industry's competition to secure specialized talent for medical AI training is heating up.