China ‘robot trainers’ fold clothes, wash dishes 200 times a day for up to US$900 a month
Por Zoey Zhang — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Trending in China People & Culture Trending in China China ‘robot trainers’ fold clothes, wash dishes 200 times a day for up to US$900 a month
Some view this as deeply ironic: humans are teaching robots to work, yet these machines will one day replace their trainers
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Zoey Zhang Published: 10:00am, 14 Oct 2026
Across China, a new breed of freelance “robot trainers” are wearing motion-capture gear to turn everyday household chores – picking up cups, opening bottle caps and washing dishes – into data that will teach tomorrow’s machines.
The data is later converted into training sets to help robots work in settings ranging from kitchens and factories to supermarkets.
Such roles are increasingly advertised on mainland social media and job platforms. They reportedly pay trainers between 4,000 yuan and 6,000 yuan (US$600 and US$900) a month and attract unemployed workers and young people seeking flexible jobs.
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