Hollywood Workers Train AI Models for Up to $100 an Hour as Entertainment Jobs Shrink
Updated
Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Jun 24
Hollywood Workers Train AI Models for Up to $100 an Hour as Entertainment Jobs Shrink
3 articles · Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Jun 24
Summary
AI-training gigs are drawing more Hollywood writers, editors and executives as film and TV work dries up, with some workers saying RLHF jobs have covered rent and kept them afloat during long job searches.
Mercor, a recruiting platform valued at $10 billion after a $350 million 2025 funding round, is among the firms connecting entertainment workers to tasks such as scoring model outputs and correcting prompts.
Pay can reach more than $100 an hour for specialized experts, and Indeed said AI-related arts job postings rose from nearly 5% in May 2025 to nearly 11% in April 2026.
The work remains divisive because workers may be helping build tools that could replace them; a NAVA survey found about 20% of respondents had knowingly lost jobs to AI tools.
Guilds have offered little public guidance, reflecting a Catch-22 as members need income now even while broader AI adoption could deepen job losses across the creative sector.
Is Hollywood's AI gold rush a lifeline for artists or the beginning of their obsolescence?
With courts denying copyright to AI art, is human creativity now Hollywood's most valuable asset?
Hollywood Production Plummets 50% as AI Training Gigs Rise: The Creative Labor Crisis of 2022–2026
Overview
Since 2022, Hollywood has faced a sharp decline in jobs and production, with TV and film output dropping far below recent averages. This downturn is driven by tough local economics and competition from regions offering better subsidies, causing many productions to leave California. As traditional roles disappear, studio lots have even opened their doors to influencers to fill empty stages. In response, many creative professionals are turning to AI training gigs, using their storytelling skills to help develop artificial intelligence. This shift marks a major transformation in Hollywood’s job market and creative landscape.