Scale AI FAQs

Contributor Facing FAQs:

• [FAQ 1] Common Reasons for Project Removal:
  Unfortunately, we can’t provide details on why your previously enabled project might have been disabled/replaced. Common causes include:

• All tasks in the project have been completed.

• A limited number of tasks can be completed within a designated time for this project.

• A new project became available and you were matched to it.

• Assessment tasks are automatically scored and submissions that don’t meet the quality threshold will result in your inability to continue working on the project. 

  • To ensure the integrity of our assessment process, we cannot provide specific details about which aspects of your responses fell short.

  • Due to the high level of precision and expertise Outlier projects require, retakes are not permitted.

• Significant drops in accuracy or numerous bad reviews can lead to permanent removal from a project. Consistent poor performance across multiple projects may also lead to fewer opportunities being enabled.

• Copying and pasting text from external sources when the project does not explicitly require it. Read the project specifications carefully to understand what is and isn’t allowed.

• Using auto-typers or AI tools to complete tasks.

• Repeated periods of inactivity while tasking or leaving tasks active while browsing other websites.

  • If you need to take a break, pause the timer.

• Working from multiple devices or browsers at the same time.
  
  
  
  
   

• [FAQ 2] Understanding Project Availability:

How can I get more work on Outlier?

• As an Outlier expert, you are an independent contractor, not an employee, so your task availability may vary. Since we work with multiple customers, there should frequently be projects available for you to work on; however, this is not guaranteed at any moment.
• Project and task availability is driven by customer demand, and our system automatically matches you with opportunities that align with your skills and expertise.
• Additionally, some projects limit the number of tasks a single person can complete within a specific period. This limit (commonly called throttle) is temporary, and you can continue tasking once the period resets. This information is included in the project instructions.
• Project availability and duration can vary; some projects may be available immediately, while others might require a waiting period before tasks open up. This means it’s normal to experience times when work is temporarily unavailable or to find yourself in downtime.

Why am I getting a project notification when there’s no work available?

• When tasks are available on a project, all eligible experts are notified at the same time. Therefore, receiving a notification does not guarantee that tasks will be reserved or available when you log in.
• Once a project reaches full capacity, there will not be work available on it.

What can I do to change my enabled project?

• Since our system automatically matches based on required skills, we cannot manually assign you to projects based on requests.
• If you've enabled Marketplace, you can begin onboarding into a different project at any time.
• Read about the most frequent reasons why a project is no longer available for you in this article.

Why did a project disappear from my dashboard after I started onboarding?

• These are the most common reasons why this might happen:
  • Your responses in a module didn’t meet the quality threshold, so you’re unable to progress to the project work phase and won’t get any other modules for that project.
  • The project reached capacity before you finished all the required modules. To avoid this, we recommend completing the qualification phase in one sitting.

Why don’t I see any projects available on my dashboard after completing a module?

• Most likely, the module was designed to provide general knowledge for future projects but didn’t grant immediate access to a specific project.
• If you’ve only completed the onboarding and see a message saying you are ineligible to work on the platform, it means you did not pass the required assessments to demonstrate your expertise. There is no option to retake these assessments. 

Please note that contacting support about not having any work available will not result in new updates or faster access to projects.

How are people matched to projects?

• Project and task availability is a function of customer demand, and our system automatically matches you with available opportunities according to your skills and expertise.
• Project availability and duration can vary; some projects may be available immediately, while others might require a waiting period before tasks open up. This means it’s normal to experience times when work is temporarily unavailable or to find yourself in an “empty queue.”
• Since we work with multiple customers, there should frequently be projects available for you to work on; however, this is not guaranteed at any moment.
  
   
• When tasks are available on a project, all eligible experts are notified at the same time. Therefore, receiving a notification does not guarantee that tasks will be reserved or available when you log in.
  
   
• Once a project reaches full capacity, work will not be available.

I want to be removed from a project I was matched to

We encourage you to explore the topics in the project category to become proficient in the project you’re working on—don’t give up!

If you've given the project a try and decide it’s not for you, you can stop working on it and wait for a new one to become available. Not participating in a project will not impact the number of future projects that are made available to you.

Can I be added to a project?

Because our system matches automatically based on the skills required, we’re unable to manually match you to projects by request.

We understand waiting to be matched to a project can be frustrating, but we ask for your patience to find the best fit for you.