Amazon will shut down Mechanical Turk on September 30, 2026, ending its 21-year crowdsourcing platform. Amazon launched the service in 2005 for global workers handling digital tasks. The platform connected businesses and researchers with workers for data labeling, transcription, surveys, and content moderation. Jeff Bezos called the model “artificial intelligence” for using humans where computers struggled.
The closure follows Amazon’s internal review as advanced AI reduces demand for human microtasks worldwide. Mechanical Turk operated globally and once supported more than 500,000 workers through thousands of small online assignments. Amazon confirmed the decision in a platform notice, saying, “Following an assessment, we’ve made the decision to close AWS Mechanical Turk.”
Mechanical Turk became an important source of human-generated data for machine learning projects during the 2010s. Workers completed Human Intelligence Tasks that remained difficult for earlier computer systems. Amazon later positioned the platform as a data annotation source for its SageMaker services.
The market changed sharply as AI models now handle transcription, classification, labeling, and similar tasks. Companies such as Scale AI, Mercor, and Prolific also offer specialized data services. These platforms have attracted businesses seeking larger and more managed AI training workforces.
Mechanical Turk also faced concerns about data quality and worker conditions. A 2023 Swiss study found that up to 46% of workers used AI models for assigned tasks. The finding raised questions about human-generated data for AI training.
The shutdown will affect workers and businesses that still depend on Mechanical Turk for flexible remote tasks. Amazon already stopped accepting new requester registrations in July.
The platform’s closure marks an unusual AI milestone. Humans once filled gaps in weak AI systems, while modern AI increasingly fills gaps in human microtask work.
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