Why an AI company cleaned my New York City apartment for free

An AI company is sending free cleaners door-to-door in a bid to train the robots it hopes one day will replace them.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsFootball 2026SportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifyFootball 2026SportBusinessWorld of BusinessTechnology of BusinessNYSE Opening BellTechnologyWatch DocumentariesArtificial IntelligenceIntelligence RevolutionAI v the MindTech NowHealthWatch DocumentariesCultureWatch DocumentariesFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsWatch DocumentariesArts in MotionTravelWatch DocumentariesDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthWatch DocumentariesScienceNatural WondersClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoWatch DocumentariesBBC MaestroDiscover the WorldLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesSite searchHomeNewsSportFootball 2026BusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveWhy an AI company cleaned my New York City apartment for free16 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleArchie MitchellBusiness reporterShiftAdverts featuring camera-clad cleaners are on display around New York CityPicture this: a team of camera-clad cleaners and a private chef to boot, all wired with high-tech recording apparatus show up at your home.

You are not part of a reality TV show, and have not woken up in an Aldous Huxley or Margaret Atwood novel.

Instead, you are a resident of New York City, where AI companies are sending free cooking and cleaning staff straight to people's doors.

But, there is a catch: this AI company is gathering data to train the next generation of cooking and cleaning robots, and every inch of your apartment is now being recorded.

The initiative, dubbed Shift by AI firm Micro AGI, is part of a growing number of companies developing the next generation of autonomous robots, which tech bosses hope will be able to do everything from the washing up to serving as live-in personal carers.