UK-Based Entrepreneur With Indian Roots Makes $200 Hourly Training AI in His Spare Time, Citing Curiosity

While not actively seeking additional work, Utkarsh Amitabh, an entrepreneur of Indian descent residing in the United Kingdom, was approached by data-labeling startup micro1 in January 2025. As he told CNBC Make It, at that point, he was already juggling numerous responsibilities: author, university lecturer, founder and CEO of Network Capital (a global mentorship platform), and a PhD student at the University of Oxford Saïd Business School. Adding to the complexity, he also had a newborn child at home.

Despite this demanding schedule, Amitabh decided to join micro1's network of experts. His primary motivation, he explained, stemmed from a deep sense of "intellectual curiosity." The opportunity, according to him, appeared to be a good fit, given his background in areas like business strategy, financial modeling, and technology.

The 34-year-old revealed that he holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, as well as a master's degree in moral philosophy. Before his current endeavors, he spent more than six years at Microsoft, concentrating on cloud computing and AI partnerships. The news outlet further reported that his prior work includes a book centered on the side-hustle economy and academic studies exploring how artificial intelligence might reshape human achievement.

Amitabh found the opportunity with micro1 to be a seamless extension of his existing interests. He also valued the flexibility offered by the part-time, freelance engagement, dedicating an average of roughly 3.5 hours each night to the work. He noted, "This didn’t seem like an add-on, but something that I could use to further my interests in a limited number of hours a week."

CNBC reports that Amitabh now earns $200 per hour training AI models for micro1. Since January, his earnings have approached $300,000, which incorporates project completion bonuses.

Although the monetary aspect wasn't his chief consideration, Amitabh emphasized that he considers "fair pay to be a core value." Moreover, he deemed the compensation to be “respectable” for work requiring specialized expertise.

Turning to a wider perspective, Amitabh acknowledged that the rise of AI raises concerns regarding job displacement. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. he adopts a balanced perspective. Referencing projections from the World Economic Forum, he pointed out that while AI may eliminate some jobs, it is also projected to generate millions of new employment opportunities worldwide by 2030. In the end, Amitabh expressed his belief that human expertise and machine intelligence will continue to advance in tandem through collaboration, rather than opposition.

He concluded, “It’s also possible that this AI fear collectively empowers us to learn better, upskill ourselves and frame questions differently about ourselves. So I’m not concerned about the [idea of] AI Doom entirely, because I think it does far more good than bad.”