AI Work PlatformsBETAAn AI fellowship offering model training and evaluation projects for generalists, specialists and technical contributors.
Handshake typically sends the previous Monday–Sunday period’s payouts to payment partners by Wednesday afternoon, followed by roughly 48 hours of processing before withdrawal.
The help page defines the period in PST. Tax details (W-8 or W-9) and payout setup are required; it links Stripe instructions. Project Terms may specify a different schedule.
Handshake AI advertises up to $17/hour for AI evaluation, $80/hour for energy professionals and FP&A analysts, $120/hour for software engineers and philosophy experts and $125/hour for game-development or PCB-tool specialists.
Separate role ceilings observed on 15 October 2026; dollar currency unspecified, and AI evaluation pay depends on the project. The AI Evaluation listing requires US residence and work authorization, native-level English, and a bachelor’s degree or higher completed or in progress at an institution in the US, Canada, Australia or the UK. It describes brief training and a single assessment before starting. The homepage excludes STEM OPT and says work authorization must be supported by Handshake; other roles have their own qualifications. These advertisements do not establish a change to existing workers’ pay.
Handshake says CPT/OPT supervision is not available on every project, especially those outside a specific domain. Required DSO or USCIS approval must be in place before accepting an invitation or signing a project contract.
This concerns the US F-1 participation route described in Handshake's help center. Other supported and unsupported authorizations are listed in the source.
One commenter in a public Handshake AI discussion reported different per-task rates for contributors in the United States and India on one project.
One account about an unidentified project. Task scope, qualifications and contract terms are unknown.
Handshake’s contract requires contractors to be at least 18, or the age of majority where they live if higher, and to maintain valid work authorization where they are located. Handshake may request proof. Work performed in India additionally requires Indian citizenship or an Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card.
Contract last updated 17 September 2026. These conditions do not establish an open international application route or permission to work while travelling.
Selected public accounts. Experiences are self-reported.
Undated
One contributor praised flexible hours, initially reliable payments and helpful sessions, but also described missing tasks, review problems, payment discrepancies and short-notice project pauses.
One first-person review; date unavailable. Payment records and allegations were not independently verified.
Source published: 2026-01-09
WIRED reported that an OpenAI project involving Handshake AI requested examples of previous work, with instructions to remove confidential and personal information; fabricated examples were also allowed. OpenAI and Handshake declined comment.
One project, reported in January 2026 using project documents. This does not establish permission to share an employer’s material.
Reviewed 2026-09-10.
Related names: Handshake AI Fellowship
Handshake AI Program | Paid, Remote AI Training Work for Experts and Generalists
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