Dutch startup Effect.AI officially launched the Private Beta of Effect Force, a blockchain based micro-task platform that’s taking on the likes of Amazon Mechanical Turk through the power of decentralization.

Effect.AI conducted a successful token sale at the end of March and has since expanded its team to over 25 members. Today marks the Private Beta release of Effect Force, their world-class Decentralized Micro Task platform that will achieve two things: 1. it will help businesses get started with AI and 2. it will raise living standards around the globe by making labor with fair wages accessible to everyone. Over four thousand workers from more than a hundred countries are eagerly anticipating the Effect Force release to start completing tasks on the revolutionary platform.

The micro-task market: ripe for disruption

The micro-task market employs thousands of people that work on easy, though time consuming tasks that computers cannot do. This kind of work is in high demand for one simple reason: developing AI algorithms often requires data that is annotated by humans. And it needs more than just a little bit of data to ‘learn,’ it needs a huge amount. Due to favorable regulations and unfair advantages, larger companies that create these data sets are almost impossible to compete with through traditional means. The lack of competition enables Amazon to charge companies using its platform fees of up to 40%. Workers, on the other hand, have to deal with all sorts of restrictions while making less than US minimum wage. And yet, their input is of great value when it comes to AI research and development. By using decentralization and blockchain technology, Effect Force can disrupt this market and offer a much better alternative to centralized mechanical turk solutions.

Delivering on the promise of decentralization

To understand how decentralization will change this, consider the example of the internet. Back when the internet first emerged, it promised a global means of communication, collaboration and doing business. Then came rules, regulation, censorship, the end of net-neutrality and other methods meant to control a technology that was supposed to free millions of people. Thankfully, Satoshi Nakamoto popularized blockchain technology with the introduction of Bitcoin. It showed people that decentralization and blockchain allows communication, collaboration and co-creation without the need for middle men and platform holders, restoring some of the internet’s original ideals in the process. By creating Effect Force, Effect.AI is one of the first companies to actually deliver on the promise of decentralization, using it to bring positive change in areas where it is needed most.

Effect Force versus the competition

Recognizing this potential for change, Effect Force offers a global platform that allows people from everywhere to perform tasks and earn a decent living by working on whatever device they like, on whatever task they prefer. By building Effect Force on the blockchain, and by using smart contracts, Effect Force eliminates middle-men, resulting in a globally accessible micro-task market that can afford to function without fees. This allows Requesters and researchers to gain access to high-quality data at attractive rates. Workers also benefit by earning a lot more for completing tasks than on centralized Mechanical Turk platforms, simultaneously contributing to essential AI research and development. Even more importantly, Effect Force is accessible to workers regardless of their nationality, giving everyone in the world the opportunity to perform tasks on the platform. This means that Effect Force can be an alternative way of earning money for people who are unable to do traditional work, for example due to health problems, economical obstacles or simply a lack of other opportunities in the area. Effect.AI also recognizes the potential of Effect Force towards the 39% of people who don’t have access to the traditional banking systems. To that end, Effect.AI introduces the Effect Force Impact Hubs.

Effect Force: creating opportunities in developing countries.

Effect.AI has made impact sourcing one of its main priorities. Impact sourcing is the practice of outsourcing to developing countries, in order to stimulate the local economy, and through Effect Force, Effect.AI creates an alternative way of earning money for people in developing countries. They are supported in this venture by none other than Sally Eaves. Sally Eaves is a innovator in the field of Machine Learning with connections at the United Nations and many local governments, she is also an Effect.AI Advisor. In collaboration with Sally and these governments, Effect.AI is setting up Effect Force Impact Hubs in key countries and locations. At these Impact Hubs, Workers can complete tasks under supervision of trained personnel. This allows workers to make a living in a safe environment where they can acquire skills in the field of AI and Machine Learning. Effect.AI recognizes that this is an incredible opportunity to create lasting change in developing areas around the world, providing the real change that was promised by decentralization. At the same time, Charlie Shrem, another high profile Advisor, is leveraging his many connections in the world of cryptocurrency to support Effect.AI and Effect Force, feeling that of all the projects currently in development, Effect Force is the one most likely to make a positive impact.

Effect Force: big partnerships

To create this reality, Effect.AI has already established partnerships with big names in the industry. Lobster.media will be using Effect Force to classify a large portion of its sizeable image catalog, meaning the first type of task on the micro-task platform will be image classification. Therefore, during the initial phase of the Private Beta, workers will be able to work on millions of image classification tasks. Workers completing these tasks will receive fair payment in the form of Effect.AI’s EFX token. As the Private Beta progresses, a wider variety of tasks will be made available on the platform as a result of new partnerships. At the same time, Effect.AI is partnering with Civic, as blockchain based secure identity platform. By implementing the Civic protocol, Effect.AI is creating a safe and sound environment through which workers can sign up and perform tasks.

Can’t stop progress

Chris Dawe, CEO and Co-Founder of Effect.AI, is clear about decentralization and what Effect Force will accomplish: “Change might come slow or it might come fast, but it is relentless and it is coming for Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and other models that are at risk of being disrupted by decentralized solutions like Effect Force. There are, after all, so many reasons to choose Effect Force over Amazon’s Mechanical Turk that change is inevitable. By virtue of its trustless, blockchain based foundation, Effect Force is faster, cheaper, better paying, more accurate, not restricted by nationality and not owned by anyone. Any company that chooses to use Effect Force will not only help itself, but will quite literally also help make the world a better place by doing so.”

Find out more about the launch of Effect Force here.

Interested in becoming an Effect Force Worker? Sign up here to pre-register

Visit the official Effect.AI website.

Effect.AI’s EFX token is tradable on BitMart.