While many professionals worry about artificial intelligence replacing their jobs, entrepreneur Utkarsh Amitabh is leveraging AI to create a lucrative side income—earning $200 per hour training enterprise AI models for companies like Microsoft and other Fortune 100 businesses.
The U.K.-based founder and CEO of mentorship platform Network Capital didn’t plan on adding another role to his already full schedule. In January 2025, amid pursuing a PhD at Oxford, lecturing at universities, and caring for his newborn daughter, Amitabh was approached by AI data-labeling startup micro1. Their proposal: join their network of domain experts who refine and train advanced AI models.
“Intellectual curiosity drew me in,” Amitabh tells CNBC Make It. With a background that spans mechanical engineering, moral philosophy, cloud computing at Microsoft, and authoring a book on the side-hustle revolution, he saw the opportunity as a “natural” extension of his interests.
The Expert Behind the AI: Blending Deep Knowledge with Flexible Hours
Micro1 specifically recruits professionals with deep, often niche expertise—doctors, lawyers, engineers, strategists—to generate what it calls “human data.” This expert input is used to challenge, refine, and outthink AI models that have already absorbed most publicly available information.
Amitabh fits the profile of a “deep generalist.” His role involves tackling confidential business problems presented by clients, breaking complex scenarios into clear language that AI can process—a sophisticated form of prompt engineering. When the model’s response contains errors or drifts off-topic, he identifies the gaps and adjusts the data set, a trial-and-error process that can take hours per problem.
“You need to have immense attention to detail,” he explains. “You’re looking for mistakes that either a human or a machine might make.”
He works on average 3.5 hours per night, after his daughter goes to sleep, maintaining a flexible freelance arrangement that complements his other responsibilities.
Fair Pay for High-Stakes Work
While Amitabh admits “money was less of a motivator” given his existing income, he values fair compensation for high-expertise work. Micro1 confirms he has earned nearly $300,000 since January 2025, including project bonuses.
The startup, valued at $500 million, competes with firms like ScaleAI and relies on its network of over 2 million experts to deliver what it calls “best-in-class results” for leading AI labs and large corporations.
Will AI Eliminate Jobs—or Create New Opportunities?
As someone helping to train the very systems that could automate knowledge work, Amitabh has a nuanced view on AI’s impact on employment.
“This is the trillion-dollar question,” he says, positioning himself between a techno-optimist and a techno-realist. He acknowledges that AI will cause “growing-up pains” and job displacement but aligns with forecasts like the World Economic Forum’s, which predicts a net gain of 80 million jobs by 2030 due to AI.
He believes knowledge is not a finite resource and sees a future of symbiotic human-machine collaboration. “It’s possible that this AI fear collectively empowers us to learn better, upskill ourselves, and frame questions differently,” he reflects. “I think it does far more good than bad.”
Key Takeaways for Aspiring AI Side-Hustlers
1. Expertise Pays: High-level, niche knowledge is in demand for AI training roles.
2. Flexibility is Built-In: Many of these gigs are project-based and can be done remotely outside traditional hours.
3. Intellectual Engagement: The work is demanding but intellectually stimulating, requiring continuous learning and precision.
4. Future-Proofing: Engaging with AI constructively may offer more opportunity than fear—turning technological disruption into a career advantage.
For professionals with deep domain expertise, training AI models represents a emerging, high-value side hustle that merges curiosity with substantial earning potential.
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