Independent buyer's guide · Verified November 9, 2026 · Last verified: November 9, 2026
Companies / Scale AI
Scale AI: Data Annotation Company Profile
Short answer: Scale AI is the largest name in this market: a managed data provider for AI labs and enterprises that also operates Outlier, the expert-contributor platform where credentialed freelancers perform RLHF and evaluation work. Buyers choose Scale for scale and expert data programs; its pricing is not publicly disclosed.
| Company | Scale AI (scale.com) |
|---|---|
| Parent / structure | Operates Outlier (outlier.ai), its expert contributor marketplace — Outlier states it is “a platform operated by Scale AI” (outlier.ai, accessed November 9, 2026). |
| Service model | Managed service + expert network. Delivers training data programs; Outlier supplies the human experts. |
| Modalities | Text and LLM data, image, video; dedicated physical AI offering covering robotics data and demonstrations (scale.com/physical-ai). |
| Industries | AI labs and large enterprises; physical AI / robotics programs are a stated focus. |
| QA approach | Human-expert feedback on demonstrations is the stated QA mechanism for physical AI work (scale.com/physical-ai). Program-level QA metrics: not verified from public sources. |
| Security evidence | Not verified — no public source in our evidence set substantiates specific certifications. Ask for current attestations in procurement. |
| Public pricing | Not disclosed. No public rate card in our sources; pricing is quote-only. |
| Expert pay signal | Outlier expert tiers are reported at around $60 per hour (TIME, April 2024; community pay comparisons, 2026) — that is what experts are paid, not what clients are charged. |
Not suitable when: you need published pricing before engaging sales (none exists), or your project is a small one-off labeling job where an enterprise sales process is disproportionate. Also consider whether an expert-network program is overkill for commodity labeling — see pricing.
Sources
- Scale AI — Physical AI — accessed November 9, 2026
- Outlier AI — operated by Scale AI — accessed November 9, 2026
- DataVLab — Best Data Annotation Companies in 2026: A Buyer's Guide — accessed November 9, 2026
Profile last verified: November 9, 2026. Corrections: [email protected] (bring a public source — see methodology). Compare all companies in the buyer’s guide or request a shortlist.