An Indian-origin entrepreneur based in the UK, Utkarsh Amitabh, has revealed how he earns $200 (approximately ₹18,000) an hour working part-time training artificial intelligence (AI) models. Amitabh juggles multiple professional roles, including being an author, university lecturer, the founder and CEO of the global mentorship platform Network Capital, and a Ph.D. student at the University of Oxford Saïd Business School.

Despite his already packed schedule and the arrival of a newborn, Amitabh was drawn to the opportunity with data-labeling startup micro1 in January 2025 due to "intellectual curiosity". He felt the role aligned well with his background in business strategy, financial modeling, and technology. The 34-year-old holds an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in moral philosophy and previously spent over six years at Microsoft working on cloud computing and AI partnerships. His prior work also includes a book on the side-hustle economy and academic research on how AI could reshape human achievement.

Amitabh appreciates the flexibility of the part-time, freelance role, dedicating roughly 3.5 hours each night to the work. He noted that it didn't feel like an add-on but something he could use to further his interests within a limited number of hours per week. Since January 2025, he has earned close to $300,000, including project completion bonuses, training AI models for micro1.

Micro1 recruits experts with specialized knowledge across various fields, including medicine, law, engineering, and technology. Daniel Warner, the chief marketing officer of micro1, stated that these specialists form the "backbone of our data quality". Amitabh describes himself as a "deep generalist" and fits neatly into that category.

While the income is substantial, Amitabh says that compensation was not his primary motivation. He already earns a livable income from his other professional roles. The opportunity with micro1 felt like a natural extension of what he was already doing.