While searching for remote work I could do from home, I came across something called data annotation — the work of labelling and evaluating data used to train AI. I heard all you need is a computer, so I signed up to give it a try.

What is data annotation?

AI learns by processing large amounts of data. Annotators help "prepare" that data correctly. Examples include:

• Labelling a cat in a photo as "cat"
• Rating whether an AI's answer is accurate and helpful
• Classifying the sentiment of a sentence as positive or negative

What I actually did was evaluate AI chat responses — answering questions like "Is this answer accurate?" or "Which response is better?"

How much does it pay?

Honestly: my first month worked out to roughly ¥500–700 per hour. Speed improves with practice, but this is not a living wage.

That said, it fits neatly into spare moments — a lunch break, naptime, a quiet evening. For that kind of use, it works well.

Who is it suited for?

Good fit:

• Homemakers looking to make use of spare time
• People comfortable with computer work
• Those who don't mind steady, repetitive tasks
• Anyone wanting a low-barrier first step into side income

Not a great fit:

• Anyone expecting quick high earnings
• Those who find reading long passages tiring

Final thoughts

Data annotation isn't a path to big earnings, but as a first step into remote work it's very accessible — no special skills needed, and you can sign up straight away.

For me, it built a little confidence with computer work. Even I — someone who once thought "side jobs sound too hard" — kept going. If you're curious, I'd say give it a try.