Mo Zohourian, a contractor based in Canada, has developed a career in artificial intelligence training after initially seeking employment in sales management. After moving from Iran in 2023 and searching for work for 10 months, Zohourian began as an entry-level AI trainer and eventually increased his rate to $100 per hour as a specialist.
Zohourian entered the field by responding to an advertisement for AI training that required no prior experience. His initial tasks involved writing prompts and justifications for $15 per hour. To access higher-paying opportunities, he completed assessments in subjects including English literature, reasoning, and mathematics, which allowed him to take on projects paying between $30 and $70 per hour.
The transition to specialist work occurred as AI companies began seeking subject matter experts beyond STEM fields like physics and coding. Zohourian stated that his 15 years of experience in entrepreneurship and sales management allowed him to qualify for projects as a sales manager expert. For the past 10 months, he has consistently worked on these projects at the $100 hourly rate.
For the individual worker, this type of contract labor offers a trade-off between high hourly pay and job stability. Zohourian reports earning $100 per hour—a significant increase from his $15 starting rate—but notes that as a freelancer, he lacks the leverage to set a baseline pay, and projects can pause for up to a month at a time. Income fluctuates based on project availability and the ability to pass qualifying assessments, rather than receiving a steady biweekly paycheck. Zohourian uses this flexibility to work between 20 and 40 hours a week while managing his own businesses.
The emergence of these expert-level training roles sets a precedent for how specialized human knowledge is used to train machine learning systems. Zohourian has since launched Annotation Academy to train others and started a consulting firm for small businesses. These effects suggest an infrastructure of secondary businesses supported by the AI training economy. What happens next depends on the continued demand for human evaluation as AI models evolve; Zohourian currently reinvests his business profits into expansion while living on his contract income. No specific legislative or regulatory deadlines were reported.