Amazon Axes Mechanical Turk Amid AI Advancements

Amazon is shutting down Mechanical Turk, a service that has been in operation for 21 years. Founded in 2005, the platform connects people to minor digital activities such as data labeling, voice transcription, and responding surveys.

The service was initially seen as a way to fill the gaps left by artificial intelligence systems, but its relevance has decreased significantly over the years. With advancements in AI technology, companies like Scale AI, Mercor, and Prolific have gained more of the market share.

According to the source, Mechanical Turk used to have more than 500,000 workers, but the platform has been shrinking for years as Amazon invested less in it and customers went elsewhere. It's not a financially significant move for Amazon, but it marks a larger shift in the industry.