tech

Inside the unseen operation to turbocharge Claude Code

Two contractors told Business Insider they earned up to $280 per hour on the ongoing project.

Inside the unseen operation to turbocharge Claude Code

TL;DR

  • Anthropic's Claude Code AI is being improved through a project called "Marlin," managed by Snorkel AI.
  • About 1,000 human software engineers act as contractors, reviewing and prompting AI-generated code.
  • Contractors are paid up to $280 per task, which typically takes an hour, to ensure code quality, security, and maintainability.
  • The project involves A/B testing code outputs from different models to select the preferred, more efficient versions.
  • This specialized data work highlights a growing trend in AI development, moving from general tasks to expert-level input.
  • Companies like Snorkel AI, Scale AI, and Mercor are facilitating this by hiring professionals with advanced degrees or equivalent experience.