February 13, 2026
Forehead cams, robot drama
Asimov (YC W26) Is Hiring
Get paid to wear a phone on your forehead—genius side hustle or Black Mirror gig
TLDR: Asimov will pay $20–$25/hour for head‑mounted phone videos of everyday chores to train humanoid robots. Commenters are split between hyped side‑hustlers and critics warning about privacy, global pay fairness, and “training your replacement,” making this gig a flashpoint for the coming robot-at-home economy.
The internet is divided (and loudly) over Asimov, a Y Combinator–backed startup, offering $20–$25/hour for folks to strap a phone to their head and record daily life so humanoid robots can learn chores. The pitch is simple: do what you already do—cook, clean, desk work, errands—record it in the app, earn cash. They promise no audio and automatic blurring of faces and personal info, plus global, flexible hours and bonuses. But in the comments, the vibes are chaotic.
On one side, hustlers are calling it “the side gig of the year,” imagining “IKEA speedruns” and “folding-laundry marathons” for bonus payouts. Memes are everywhere: “POV: my kitchen is now a robot university,” “GoPro meets chorecore,” and “Black Mirror: Household Edition.” On the other side, it’s pure skepticism: privacy hawks worry that blurred faces aren’t consent—especially for kids, neighbors, and store staff—and wonder how workplaces and public spaces will react to head-cams. Labor critics blast it as “training your replacement” and question pay fairness, especially if $20/hour applies the same worldwide. Some ask who owns the footage and whether “unlimited hours” means quiet exploitation. Supporters counter that robots won’t learn without human data and say, if this future is coming, get the bag. Asimov’s collector page is open, but the culture clash is just getting started.
Key Points
- •Asimov is collecting egocentric video of everyday tasks to build training data for humanoid robots.
- •Contributors wear a phone on a lightweight headband and record routine activities using Asimov’s app.
- •Pay starts at $20/hour and increases to $25/hour after the first 5 hours collected, with additional volume-based bonuses.
- •The role offers unlimited hours, flexible scheduling, and requires no technical experience; training and a kit are provided (phone not included).
- •Privacy safeguards include no audio collection and automatic blurring of faces and PII; the work is fully remote and open worldwide.