Instawork Robotics Lab Opens the Physical AI Economy to its 10 Million Workers

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, April 16, 2026 (Newswire.com) - Instawork today announced the opening of Instawork Robotics Lab (IRL), connecting the robotics industry with more than ten million skilled Instawork Professionals (Pros) who bring the real-world expertise needed to train, deploy, and support robots in commercial environments. For more than a year, most leading robotics labs have been working with IRL to collect and annotate the data that powers their foundation models, and robot manufacturers are partnering with IRL for field support and maintenance. To help more of Instawork's workforce participate in these opportunities, IRL is offering the first certified workforce program for the physical AI economy.

Robotics Certification: Defining Standards

The certification program addresses the industry's growing demand for skilled human labor to train, deploy, repair, and troubleshoot real-time issues across autonomous systems. Instawork Robotics Lab is training and credentialing its hourly workforce to fill that gap through two roles:

• Robotics and AI Data Collection: Pros capture and label real-world sensor data in the field, performing physical tasks in commercial environments so robots can learn from skilled human execution, providing the kind of situated, high-fidelity data that accelerates model improvement.

To date, IRL Pros are collecting hundreds of thousands of hours of real-world task data every month, a number that is growing rapidly as robotics adoption grows across industries.

• Certified Robot Technicians: Pros in the field handle hardware resets, navigation failures, and real-time environment management to keep robotic fleets running around the clock, on-demand across 100+ markets.

Training includes in-person and remote instruction on modern robotics hardware and software standards, safety protocols, and dedicated mobile apps for data collection and VR apps for robot teleoperation. All data collection is opt-in and anonymized, capturing workflows, not individuals.

"The main bottleneck in robotics today isn't hardware. It's the skilled workers who can train, deploy, and troubleshoot these systems in the real world," said Sumir Meghani, Co-Founder and CEO of Instawork. "Our Pros are already wearing cameras in commercial kitchens to show robots proper knife technique, collecting sensor data on warehouse floors, and folding hotel linens on camera so machines can learn to do it to brand standards; and when those robots hit the field, our certified technicians are the ones keeping them running."

"The prevailing wisdom is that AI will eliminate jobs. We're seeing the opposite: the robot economy is creating entirely new categories of work, and Instawork is the bridge to get our Pros there," Meghani added.

Two Million Workers Needed. 20,000 Already Certified

Goldman Sachs forecasts the humanoid robot market could reach $38 billion by 2035 and the global data collection and labeling market is projected to hit $17 billion by 2030. Deloitte projects nearly 2 million skilled physical AI jobs will go unfilled by 2030. The primary barrier to growth is the skilled human workforce needed to support these systems at scale.

Instawork is building a certified labor pool trained specifically for physical AI deployments and maintenance with robotics partners. Over 20,000 Instawork Pros are already certified, establishing the industry's first quality and safety benchmark for robotics labor.

For businesses, the program offers a verified, scalable way to operate robotic systems globally, without having to build dedicated local teams in every new market they enter. Instawork plans to expand training and certifications as robotics adoption accelerates across industries.

Learn more about Instawork Robotics Lab here.

About Instawork

Instawork's mission is to create economic opportunities for businesses and hourly workers across the globe. As the leading AI-powered marketplace for hourly labor, Instawork connects light industrial, hospitality, retail, and robotics companies to skilled workers, turning staffing agility into a competitive advantage. Instawork helps more than ten million workers earn on their terms while developing valuable skills.

Backed by leading investors such as Benchmark, Craft, Greylock, and Spark Capital, Instawork is redefining how businesses stay resilient and how people work.

Media Contact:

Amanda Pires
Head of Communications, Instawork
[email protected] | 650-208-3728

SOURCE: Instawork

Source: Instawork