It is easy to get confused when there are so many different areas of AI, but simply put, AI is the ability for a computer to do work normally done by humans by imitating human intelligence...

Artificial intelligence is a versatile technology that sees use in a diverse range of industries. It would seem there’s nothing AI isn't capable of as we continue to push the boundaries of automation. Many processes and jobs can now be completed with much greater efficiency thanks to the aid of AI models. However, despite rapid advancement in AI over the last few years, most Machine Learning models still rely on education from humans in the form of data annotation.

The process of annotating data to prepare high-quality training data is a major hurdle in any AI development project. For small teams of data scientists, having to manually label enough data points to create good training data consumes a lot of valuable time. This time is better used making insights and working on other areas of development, so many companies choose to outsource their annotation work to specialised data annotation companies.

There are a number of different ways to get data properly labelled and annotated, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. At Tictag, we have tapped on the power of crowdsourcing to accomplish this task swiftly and accurately.

What is crowdsourcing?

The act of crowdsourcing involves obtaining the help of a large and usually open group of people to complete a certain task. In the scope of data annotation this can be especially effective at getting large amounts of data labelled. To give an example, for a data set containing 1,000 data points, a group of 200 people would only need to label 5 points each compared to a team of 20 people labelling 50 points each. Dividing this work among a larger group of people also means it is less taxing on each individual, which increases the likelihood of consistently accurate labelling for each data point. Crowdsourcing allows huge numbers of data points to be labelled in a fraction of the time it would take a traditional annotation team.

How does Tictag use the power of crowdsourcing?

At Tictag we have taken a unique approach to tapping on the power of crowdsourcing. One of the main goals we have is to make data annotation accessible to everyone while also making it fun, easy, and rewarding.

To achieve this, we use a gamified platform, specially designed for mobility and inclusivity, to introduce game elements to standard data annotation.

With this, the process of data annotation is transformed from a traditionally slow and tiring process for a small group of people to something that can be done quickly and easily by anyone with a smartphone. Being able to perform these tasks at any time and place in the world is also a great advantage of being a mobile application.

Building a community of skilled and enthusiastic data labellers or “Taggers” is not an easy pursuit. A large incentive for people to become a part of the Tagger community is the coin-based rewards system we use. As Taggers complete different types of annotation tasks they earn coins based on the accuracy and number of data points they label. These coins are exchanged for a range of prizes like Grab/Amazon vouchers, household appliances, electronics and more.

Additionally, special big ticket items also come and go as part of the selection of redeemable rewards. Badges can also be earned by tagging frequently and consistently to show a Tagger’s skill and dedication to tagging, and to reward and recognise them for familiarity with a particular task. A large crowd also means that you might find expertise in specific niche areas that might not otherwise be easy to come by!

A main concern for crowdsourcing data annotation work is the accuracy of the labels. Fortunately, our annotation platform comes in the form of an easy-to-use phone based app with an intuitive UI which gives users a high level of control to tag accurately. Tasks are broken up when distributed to the crowd, and are brought together again to ensure the highest level of accuracy possible. Several quality control measures are also integrated into our annotation process that ensures the production of high-quality labelled data.

For many companies, outsourcing data annotation work can be the best choice when it comes to accelerating their project timeline and freeing up internal employees. At Tictag our community of taggers will help get data labelled swiftly and accurately, and for taggers turning spare time into high-value rewards has never been so easy. Visit Tictag to find out more about how you can earn rewards while tagging for fun, or contact us to find out how to get your data labelled quickly and accurately.

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