Generalist

What the work looks like

AI models that read images are often bad at counting, and they get worse when counting takes reasoning. You'll build tasks that expose that weakness:

- Taking your own original, unedited photos of real-world scenes, mainly outdoor ones (streets, parking lots, building facades, parks, markets) that hold many countable objects

- Writing 3–5 counting prompts per image that make the model reason, not just count: conditional filters ("How many red cars are parked in the lot?"), purpose-based reasoning ("How many objects require seatbelts to operate?"), spatial relationships ("How many cars are parked next to an empty space?"), telling similar objects apart, and prompts whose correct answer is 0

- Making sure every prompt has exactly one correct answer that 9 out of 10 people would agree on right away, then checking and recording that answer

- Outlining (masking) every counted object in an annotation tool so each answer can be checked object by object

- Aiming for image and prompt sets where the model gets the count wrong

Pay is per task, based on how many objects your hardest prompt counts: $60 (0–24 objects), $70 (25–49), $80 (50–79), $100 (80+).

What we're looking for

- A sharp eye for detail, and the patience to count dozens of objects accurately

- A phone or camera, and access to busy real-world scenes you can photograph yourself

- Clear, precise writing: prompts can't use vague terms like "closest" or shades of color that people would argue about

- Comfort with careful, repetitive checking, and acting on reviewer feedback

- Willingness to flag unclear guidelines rather than guess

What this covers

- Original photography of natural, unedited scenes (no stock, social media, AI-generated, or edited images)

- Writing reasoning-based counting prompts: conditional, spatial, comparing similar objects, crowded scenes, and zero-answer prompts

- Outlining (masking) objects and checking each answer

- Strong reviewers may be promoted to review other people's tasks as the project goes on

Your photos matter more than your background. A strong submission is an original, busy scene with prompts the model can't answer correctly.

How it works

1. Apply with your resume and confirm where you work from.

2. Complete the short assessment attached to this listing. It's required to be considered for this project.

3. We review your profile and assessment results. If you look like a good fit, we'll reach out with next steps.

4. Once you're onboarded, you'll read the project guidelines, watch the onboarding call, pass the onboarding quiz, and submit one qualifying task (it must be an outdoor photo). After it's approved, you can claim more tasks.

What to expect

Applying doesn't guarantee a spot on the project. We'll contact you only if your profile and assessment are a good match, and timing depends on the project's needs.

Once you're on the project, it's pay-per-task with flexible hours, so you choose how many tasks you take on. Every image goes through an originality check before you can submit it, and each task is reviewed for accuracy. A task that's sent back for edits reduces your pay for it, so careful first submissions pay best.

We consider all qualified applicants without regard to legally protected characteristics and provide reasonable accommodations upon request.

Contract and Payment Terms

• You will be engaged as an independent contractor.
• This is a fully remote role that can be completed on your own schedule.
• Projects can be extended, shortened, or concluded early depending on needs and performance.
• Your work at Mercor will not involve access to confidential or proprietary information from any employer, client, or institution.
• Payments are weekly on Stripe or Wise based on services rendered.
• Please note: We are unable to support H1-B or STEM OPT candidates at this time.

About Mercor

Mercor partners with leading AI labs and enterprises to train frontier models using human expertise. You will work on projects that focus on training and enhancing AI systems. You will be paid competitively, collaborate with leading researchers, and help shape the next generation of AI systems in your area of expertise.