You don't need an office or expensive gear to do AI training work. You do need a few basics, and missing one of them can sink an interview or get your account flagged. This is the checklist.
A computer, not just a phone
Most AI training work is done on a laptop or desktop. Some platforms don't support phones at all for key steps. Mercor's docs, for example, say its AI interviews don't run in mobile browsers.
What you need:
- A laptop or desktop that's reasonably recent and runs a current browser smoothly.
- A modern browser. Mercor recommends the latest Google Chrome for its interviews and lists Edge and Safari as supported. Firefox isn't supported there. Other platforms may differ.
- Enough power for the tools. Some projects install time-tracking software or a secure work browser. Coding projects may need you to run code locally.
- A second screen helps for long guidelines, but it's not required.
A phone still matters. Identity checks often ask you to take photos or a selfie video on a phone.
Internet
You need a connection that holds up through a video interview of 20 minutes or more without dropping.
- Stable beats fast. A connection that cuts out mid-interview is worse than a slower steady one. We haven't seen the platforms we cover publish a minimum speed, so test yours with a video call first.
- Use a wired connection if you can, or sit close to your router.
- No VPNs or proxies. This is important. Mercor's conduct policy says connections must come from a normal home or mobile internet connection, and it reviews sign-ins through VPNs, proxies and data-centre networks. Several other platforms ban VPNs too. A flagged account can be closed with unpaid earnings.
- Have a backup. A phone hotspot can save an interview if your home connection fails.
Camera, microphone and headphones
Most screening is now an AI interview on video. You'll be talking to an automated interviewer, often with your camera on.
Mercor's own interview tips are a good general checklist:
- A working camera and microphone. Test both before you start.
- Your full face visible and well lit.
- Headphones and an external microphone are recommended. Cheap wired earphones with a mic are fine.
- Captions are on by default in its interviews.
- Screen sharing may be required, and only full-screen sharing works.
micro1 uses an AI interviewer called Zara before project work, and Ethos screens with an AI-run voice interview, so the same basics apply there.
Light tip: sit facing a window or lamp, not with it behind you.
A quiet space
Interviews are recorded and scored. Noise and interruptions cost you.
- Pick a room you can close. Tell anyone at home when the interview is.
- Turn off notifications on your computer and phone.
- Keep pen and paper nearby. Mercor suggests this, plus a calculator if the role needs it.
For project work, quiet matters less, but focus matters more. Most tasks are long reading and careful writing.
ID checks
Real platforms verify who you are before paying you. Expect:
- A government-issued ID, such as a passport, national ID card or driving licence.
- A selfie or short selfie video, matched against the ID.
- Sometimes a background check of your education and work history, separate from the ID check.
Mercor's docs say it checks ID once, through a third-party service called Persona, with a government ID and a short selfie video, and that you should turn off any VPN or privacy relay first. Our research found micro1 also asks for an ID upload.
Be careful with this step. Upload ID only after signing in on the platform's own website. Never send ID by email or chat. Read how to spot a remote AI job scam for why.
Payout and tax setup
Before your first payout you'll usually need:
- A bank account or payout account the platform supports. Mercor uses Stripe for most countries and Wise for some. Others use Payoneer, PayPal or a contractor payroll service.
- A tax form. Mercor's docs say people outside the US fill in a W-8BEN and US residents a W-9.
Check the platform can pay out to your country before you apply. How AI training pay works explains payouts and tax in more detail.
Monitoring software
Many projects track your time. Some take screenshots while the timer runs. Mercor's docs say its tool, Insightful, takes a few screenshots an hour and doesn't look at your files as long as you don't open personal things while the timer is on.
Practical habit: keep work and personal browsing in separate windows, or separate browser profiles, and stop the timer when you take a break.
The checklist
- Laptop or desktop with a current browser
- Phone with a camera, for ID checks
- Stable internet, no VPN, a backup hotspot
- Working webcam, microphone and headphones
- A quiet room for interviews
- Government ID ready
- A payout method that works in your country
Where to go next
Once you're set up, pick a platform. Our platform pages explain what each one hires for. Then choose a role that's hiring now from the job list, or start with no-degree roles.
Some Apply links are referral links: we get a bonus if you're hired, it costs you nothing and the application is the same.