Amazon to close Mechanical Turk after 21 years
Amazon will permanently close its Mechanical Turk platform this Wednesday, ending a 21-year run as one of the earliest digital gig work marketplaces. The service allowed workers around the world to perform small online tasks, such as data labeling and transcription, but has seen its relevance diminish with the rise of automation and AI. The closure has prompted former users to share memories and concerns about the loss of flexible online work.
- Mechanical Turk launched in 2005 for online microtasks
- Amazon stopped new client sign-ups earlier this year
- AI automation contributed to declining demand for HITs
- Workers expressed disappointment and nostalgia online
Sources covering this
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