Last month, we had a candid conversation with Zachary Neeley, a political science tutor who transformed from a skeptical outsider to a passionate AI trainer. In a revealing conversation, he shares how he went from thinking Pareto was a scam to believing he's helping shape the future of artificial intelligence, earning up to $8,000 a month while challenging traditional notions of data annotation work.
Hey Zach! Tell us about your professional background. Where are you from and what do you do?
I'm from Houston, Texas. I graduated from Trapezius College in May 2021 with a bachelor's degree in political science and a minor in history. Since January 2022, I've been a full-time professional tutor. I run my own tutoring business called Atlas Tutoring, where we specialize in English, math, science, test prep for ACT, SAT, GRE, LSAT, and college admissions tutoring.
How did you first hear about Pareto? Was it through outreach, an online application, or something else?
I was recruited by Amy Bonife (a Pareto team member), who is Pat's sister, through LinkedIn for Project [confidential]. Honestly, I thought it was a scam at first. I was skeptical about providing bank account information and didn't know anything about data annotation or AI training.
What made you decide to pursue this opportunity despite your initial skepticism?
As I went through the onboarding process and joined the Discord, I realized this was a legitimate operation. What really built my trust was seeing other community members and their interactions. I became intrigued by this entire industry I didn't even know existed.
Can you describe your initial experiences with the [confidential] project? What was unique about your involvement?
I was among the first 20-30 trainers recruited. The project was unique because we were building guidelines from the ground up. I was placed in a private Slack channel with the QA team and client engineers, and we actively helped develop the training protocols for new workers.
How did the project impact your understanding of AI training and data annotation?
It opened my eyes to an entire industry I never knew existed. I realized that companies like Pareto are looking for subject-matter experts like myself to help train AI models. The work is more nuanced and important than I initially thought.
Can you share more about your earnings and experience with Pareto projects?
In April, I made around $8,000-$9,000 from Pareto. I was so confident in the project that I even quit my part-time job at a public library. When I heard someone made $37,000 in a month, it was mind-blowing.
How do you view the importance of quality work in these AI training projects?
The most important thing to me is doing a good job on these projects. I put in 110% effort because that's what keeps clients like Anthropic coming back. If we don't maintain high-quality work, the projects will dry up.
What are your thoughts on Pareto's approach to data annotation and worker treatment?
I appreciate that Pareto is trying to reimagine data labeling. Instead of treating workers like a disposable workforce, they're recognizing us as subject-matter experts. We're not just labeling data; we're training AI that could potentially shape the future.
How do you see your role in this emerging field of AI training?
I see myself as more than just a worker. I'm a professional contributing to the development of advanced AI models. My expertise in political science, tutoring, and communication allows me to provide nuanced insights that can help train more sophisticated AI systems.
How do you think AI is going to impact jobs?
I've thought a lot about this. Initially, I was worried because I'm training an AI that could potentially compete with me as a tutor. But I realized a few key things:
There's no way AI can completely replace a human tutor. Chatbots are just machines run by algorithms. They can't provide the personal, face-to-face interaction that some students need. In fact, my tutoring demand hasn't decreased at all since AI chat tools emerged.
The students who might use AI were never going to pay for tutoring anyway. They were already using alternative methods to avoid direct help. For specialized workers like myself, AI is more of a complement than a replacement. It's great for mundane tasks, but it cannot fully replace human expertise and connection.
What's your favorite and least favorite thing about working with Pareto?
My favorite thing is definitely the Project Managers (PMs). Pareto has done an excellent job hiring competent, fun, and supportive people. They've always stuck up for the trainers and been willing to speak out when necessary.
My least favorite aspect is the lack of transparency. While I understand not everything can be shared, there could be more communication about project statuses, especially for projects in limbo. This lack of information creates anxiety in the community.
How has working on AI projects helped you?
Completely transformative. It pushed me to engage with topics I wasn't initially comfortable with. I learned how to research, write about, and teach subjects I might not have explored before. Each project taught me something different and helped develop skills valuable for my work as a business owner and tutor.
The most interesting challenge was learning how to translate complex information into something an AI chatbot could understand – essentially, thinking about how I would teach a student and then converting that approach into AI training.
Any advice for AI trainers?
Be patient. Work will come, but recognize that opportunities depend on many factors – your skills, experience, trust within the community, and even location. Don't get discouraged. The field is evolving, and there are opportunities for those willing to learn and adapt.
Any final thoughts about Pareto?
I'm excited to see how the company continues to grow. Over the past year, I've seen remarkable progress and an amazing community developing. I'm looking forward to what the future holds.
