Imagine your apartment being tidied by tech-savvy cleaners who are secretly training tomorrow’s cleaning bots. That's exactly what's happening in New York City as part of an initiative dubbed Shift by AI firm Micro AGI.

The company, which hopes to train robots that can perform any task humans do, has sent two young graduates around the city, complete with cameras on their caps and connected to their phones. Their mission: clean apartments while recording every move for data.

“Tonnages” of data are needed to teach these robots how to handle different objects in various lighting conditions, according to Bercan Kilic, Shift's founder. The goal is to advance humanity by training robots that can adapt to any environment and perform a wide range of tasks, from cooking to serving as live-in carers.

However, privacy experts warn against giving up access to one’s home in exchange for free services. Sharing data has its risks, they point out, and the potential profit from selling valuable datasets could far outweigh the benefits of free cleaning services.

In New York City, these young AI pioneers are excited about their role in the future of work. For now, they're happy to get their hands dirty – literally – while contributing to an ever-evolving technological revolution.