AI startup Shift is launching a free home cleaning service in New York City, using camera-equipped caps worn by cleaners to record first-person video for robot training data.
Shift's cleaners will wear a "magic hat" equipped with a camera that captures their work in homes throughout NYC. The startup plans to use this footage to train robots capable of performing household cleaning tasks.
The free service model allows Shift to gather training data while offering residents complimentary cleaning. This approach addresses a key challenge in robotics development: obtaining large volumes of annotated video showing how humans perform specific tasks.
The initiative reflects a growing trend of tech companies using real-world services to collect AI training data. By recording cleaners in actual home environments, Shift gains diverse footage showing different layouts, furniture arrangements, and cleaning scenarios.
Separately, Amazon unveiled its next-generation Proteus warehouse robot, which adds AI-powered language capabilities allowing workers to assign tasks verbally. The company plans to roll out Proteus in European warehouses in the first half of 2027. Amazon maintains that such robots are designed to support workers rather than replace them.
Ema, an AI-powered enterprise software platform, secured $77 million in new funding, bringing its total capital raised to $140 million. The company serves over 50 enterprise customers including Google and Microsoft.
Portuguese drone maker Tekever is actively pursuing acquisitions following the first close of a major funding round targeting $580 million in total capital.
South Korean AI startup Wrtn Technologies selected Mirae Asset Securities as lead underwriter for its planned initial public offering, following a recent valuation increase.
Noah Shinn, who published influential AI research before graduating college, has soft-launched Instinct, an AI assistant targeting venture capitalists. The startup is reportedly fundraising at a $10 billion valuation.