A New York startup is offering residents free apartment cleaning and even private chef services. In return, it records nearly everything that happens inside their homes. The initiative, called Shift, comes from AI company Micro AGI. The firm says it wants to gather real-world data to train future household robots that can clean, cook and perform other daily tasks.
The programme has sparked excitement among AI enthusiasts. It has also raised concerns among privacy advocates who warn that consumers may be giving away valuable personal information for a service that appears free.
Cameras, Cleaning and AI Training
The project recently drew attention after a BBC reporter invited Shift cleaners into his Upper East Side apartment in New York City.
The workers looked like ordinary cleaners. However, each wore a camera mounted on a cap and connected to a mobile phone. The devices recorded their work as they cleaned kitchens, bathrooms and living spaces.
According to Shift founder Bercan Kilic, the company needs large amounts of real-world data to help robots learn how to operate in constantly changing environments.
“The goal of the data-gathering exercise is to advance humanity,” Kilic told the BBC.
He compared the challenge to training large language models such as ChatGPT. While language models learn from text available online, robots must learn how to interact with physical objects in different settings.
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“In the real world, every object is different, the lighting is different and nothing is the same as it was a couple of hours earlier. Models need to learn how their hands, cameras and environments work together,” he said.
The company says it collects “tonnes” of data from homes. It then anonymises the information and sells datasets to robotics and AI firms developing autonomous machines.
Kilic said Shift could eventually provide free or discounted services covering “any skill humanity can demonstrate.” Besides apartment cleaning in New York, the company also uses mechanics in Turkey to collect similar training data.
The effort comes as technology companies race to develop humanoid robots capable of handling household chores, elderly care and other labour-intensive tasks. Firms such as Tesla, Figure AI and Agility Robotics are investing heavily in human-like robots designed for everyday environments.
Privacy Concerns Grow
Privacy experts say consumers should carefully consider the trade-off before allowing cameras inside their homes.
Rory Mir of the Electronic Frontier Foundation said the organisation has seen a “concerning increase in ‘pay-for-privacy’ and ‘data-bribing’ practices from companies”.
“While it might come with money or a service upfront, the data you share has a way of coming back to bite you,” he said.
Calli Schroeder of the Electronic Privacy Information Center described the model as “a diabolically creative way to sell privacy invasion.”
She warned that home recordings could capture highly sensitive information. She also argued that the data may prove far more valuable than the cleaning service itself.
Kilic defended the approach and said Shift remains transparent about how it uses customer information.
“Clearly your data is being used every single day, but you don’t know what for and you are not being paid,” he said.
“If you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to. We don’t expect everyone to like it and that is fine.”
As AI companies push to build robots for everyday life, Shift’s experiment highlights a growing debate. Consumers may soon have to decide whether convenience is worth the cost of sharing more of their private lives.
