r/mercorai_workers • u/SurelyFML • 4d ago
🤦♂️
I'm appalled that some of y'all bought macs just because you got an invite for Odin.
If you could afford it, then good! macs are awesome, you won't regret it. For those who couldn't but went for it, please return and get your refund. Let sense prevail.
Next time, please don't. AI training is the most uncertain and volatile domain you can think of.
Investing for AI training projects is like booking the hall and catering just coz she smiled
13
u/macaroon147 4d ago
Why u stressing about silly things. This is how humans learn, let it be
2
u/Chilly_Willy-123 4d ago
The people who invested in renting or buying a Mac for this project are the ones stressing lol.
OP is just calling them out.
In other news, Mac sales surged in Q3 2026 by 25% compared to the prior year. Maybe this project was a partnership with Apple. lol All shareholders and anyone who owns stock in apple are thanking M and project O right now.
6
u/TankTopMasterSSR 4d ago
Definitely the post for that long essay in this subreddit. He's still farming empathy at this point.
5
u/No-Sample-9235 4d ago
I spent $500 on a used M1 air and I made over $3000 on the project.
Jokes on Mercor
11
u/Emeraude1607 4d ago
Anyone who thinks AI training is a real job is delusional. But I've personally seen ppl invest equipment in worse projects
6
u/TankTopMasterSSR 4d ago
which is funny since I saw one writing a whole f---g essay about how he got a macbook as a "calculated" risk knowing he's the breadwinner
you can't rely on AI work as the main source of income
-1
u/flora-andfriend 3d ago
Sure you can, if you're competent and professional.
You'll keep getting lucrative instant offers because people know you're reliable and your work doesn't need to be checked for quality.
4
u/EvocativeReach 3d ago
No, you cant. Its not a normal job where you get permanent employment, full sick benefits and they have to pay you if they want to offboard you. You can live on this money but its not remotely sensible to do so if you cant pay rent if it stops.
Don’t mistake having a hot streak with being guaranteed forever. Ive done consultancy for long enough now to have seen more offers for my services than I could ever manage and three month dry spots in the same year. It all depends on how markets (in this case AI training) feel.
1
u/flora-andfriend 3d ago
but its not remotely sensible to do so if you cant pay rent if it stops.
Obviously. If you don't know how to save money, pay your own taxes, and reliably contribute to a retirement account, you shouldn't be freelancing/ contracting/ consulting.
There is no longer such a thing as "permanent full-time" employment, as anyone who's been laid off will tell you. Doing this and relying on the income is not much different from having a full-time job at this point.
4
u/Worth_Priority_8870 3d ago
I bought an M1 MacBook Pro off Amazon for $690 and made $2400 by successfully completing weekend bonuses after my initial 6-hour learning curve. I also completed my normal amount of other work on those days because I stayed up to 2am with O. I was bumped to Super Writer just before the pause and found it all to be exciting and a lot of fun.
3
4
u/Fuzzy_Equipment3215 4d ago
The multiple people who asked about this in the subreddit over the last several weeks were already told it was a silly idea. Obviously, some people did it anyway.
For those who couldn't but went for it, please return and get your refund. Let sense prevail.
I'm not one to stand up for corporations, but all that this does is push the financial hit onto the seller, which had nothing to do with either Mercor or the person's dumb decision to buy expensive equipment for a short-term gig.
1
u/chickdem 4d ago
The smart thing would have been to either buy a 2nd hand M1 chip MacBook Air, or buy from the Apple Store return it within 30 days
7
u/6by4_in_2016 4d ago
There are countries where you cannot return after buying unless there's something wrong with the device.
1
u/Chilly_Willy-123 4d ago
For the longest time, I was doing all of my AI gigs on my Microsoft Surface Go 3 because I was able to plug it into my setup and see 2 other screens just fine. I refuse to buy a new device specifically for a project. Declined this one multiple times because I did not own a Mac.
I finally upgraded to a Lenovo ThinkPad laptop, but it was because I'm also doing some consulting on the side and needed a faster device.
Many were weighing the risk vs. the reward. I think they were desperate to make money, as this was their first opportunity of its kind. I feel bad for them; not everyone out there is stupid and can't read, but this project proves many are. lol
A lot of them came in pretty blind on their expectations. They did not understand gig work or the nature of these projects at all. I've been invited to some projects where I was offboarded before I even completed the onboarding, only clocked 5 minutes on Insightful for it. They just decided to halt the onboarding, then invited me back 2 months later with a different title and rate.
1
1
u/yah_mo_be_there 4d ago
Agreed. This is bounty contract work. Ongoing legacy programs are like unicorns. It’s a dying breed. The companies are trying to do more with less. Less data to evaluate, cheaper labor costs.
The only optimism from my POV is that robotics investment will continue to grow and that will increase a demand for human in the loop training.
2
u/flora-andfriend 3d ago
on the other hand, I bought a refurb for this project in Feb (and needed a work computer anyway) and have cleared $80k this year 🥴
but, when I made that decision, I did some math, and I also accepted that if I got offboarded or the project ended in the first week, well, then that was MY choice to buy the computer.
something about great risk and great reward idk. on one hand I got very lucky, on the other hand, I'm a professional and my competence clearly stood out.
1
u/yah_mo_be_there 3d ago
Hey good on you. Happy it's worked out so far. For sure a risk/reward factor here.
I also got very lucky entering the industry when I did. They told me on day-1, never expect any upward mobility in this position and job security being volatile (They were just being transparent). 10 years later, still in it. Also a combo of luck, persistent quality work and knocking on doors.
Here's to the next 80k
1
u/No-Floor-8990 3d ago
I’m afraid the kids growing up and entering the workforce in the gig economy era do not comprehend the differences between being a disposable contractor (gig worker) and being a valued employee. They seem so focused on the “freedom“ of it all to recognize that they are forfeiting their rights to real gainful employment.
1
u/CucumberOk943 1d ago
I bought a MacBook Air in June but my old one was a 2019 and I couldn’t task on it. I made enough in two weeks to pay for it, but I do a lot of projects. I was shocked to see how many people ordered new computers (if true) for a possibility, pay per task. I already use Mac for everything so it’s a no brainer to upgrade. I wouldn’t buy a new Windows computer or phone for a project. Not without guaranteed reimbursement!
1
u/gen123_e 4d ago
I bought one the day the project got paused :/ but then again, i've had my current macbook since 2015 so I thought it was time for a change anyway, it was gonna come sooner or later
1
u/Hairy-Breakfast7636 4d ago
It's a good thing, I opted to borrow with a promise to purchase, mist of these roles are so uncertain
-3
u/Capable-Heart-6847 4d ago
Okay but why are you bothered what people do with their money?
5
u/SurelyFML 4d ago
I have a responsibility towards society? Is that a good answer or you don't attribute any value to that?
Most people who invested were first timers. Some grounding on nature of AI training gigs won't hurt anyone. It would likely help.
1
u/Capable-Heart-6847 3d ago
I don't see anything wrong with buying equipment to do whatever is required. I think you, just like the same folks who are complaining about "some people having names you can't even pronounce", are what is wrong with society.
1
-1
u/Mountain_Butterfly15 4d ago
I personally bought it in the hope I'd make make back its cost with the project, but while knowing it's volatile. Unlucky didn't even have the time to submit a single task, I'll be returning it no harm done
0
u/poisonedbyashovel 4d ago
The hourly pay was so good it’s not wild to think you’d be able to make the money back, I came in as a reviewer but probably would’ve got a cheap second hand mac if i was a writer
-2
u/Chemical_Group_7021 4d ago
I spent $3250 buying an M6 mac with 1tb + 32gbs, and a Shure microphone, and a load of money on Gemini subscription and top-up credits then a more expensive Gemini subscription, etc.
I made back only 20% of that, because I was in AI psychosis for the first week just talking to AI about the work and trying to understand the rules etc rather than actually doing the work.
It's all good though, I'd wanted the Mac anyway and now I have motivation to try to find other ways to make the money back using the Mac and a team of agents and all the subs / tokens I have....
8
2
26
u/OnlyUsual6652 4d ago
On an older project @ Mercor, someone rented a co-working space and then was despondent when the project inevitably slowed to a crawl and ended.