German AI startup MicroAGI trades free cleaning for robot training data in New York

German artificial intelligence startup MicroAGI has launched a promotional initiative in New York City, offering free home cleaning services through its newly released Shift app. In exchange for the service, the company collects first-person video footage of the cleaning process to train embodied AI and household robots. The campaign, publicised on social media platforms X and LinkedIn on May 28, features a video set to Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind,” highlighting the company’s mission to accelerate embodied AI through data collection.

Cleaners deployed by the platform wear cameras during the two-hour appointments, capturing the visual data required for robot training. MicroAGI states that the core of its business is the collection of data for robotics, with the free cleaning service serving as a promotional hook to recruit individuals to record everyday tasks. The company claims it already pays “tens of thousands of people” across 15 countries to capture daily work and chores, with more than 10,000 operators collectively paid over $5 million in the first quarter of the 2026 fiscal year.

To address privacy concerns, the Shift app website asserts that names, faces, and other personal information are automatically anonymised before use. The privacy policy details the use of advanced machine learning models running on smart glasses or video capture devices to perform irreversible transformations, including automated face blurring and identifier obfuscation. These measures are applied to screens, ID cards, and other sensitive details before data is uploaded to cloud servers.

However, the terms of service absolve the platform of responsibility for any property damage, theft, or personal injury resulting from the cleaning appointments. While the app claims there is no catch for the free service, booking requires payment information, and clients may be charged if they cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice or are unavailable at the scheduled time. It remains unclear whether users can request the removal of their video data from training datasets or if the anonymisation techniques are sufficient to prevent the identification of private residences.

MicroAGI is currently running an aggressive recruiting campaign targeting New York City university students, teachers, restaurant and delivery workers, and residents of specific neighbourhoods. US general manager Harry Kilberg highlighted the platform’s expansion, while founder and CEO Bercan Kilic teased potential launches in London, Munich, and Zurich. The initiative places MicroAGI alongside other startups such as Encord and Micro1, which have similarly recruited contract workers globally to provide training data for AI systems.