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They Paid Me One Cent to Train an AI – Here’s What I Did About It

Let me tell you about the shortest job I’ve ever had.

A company was looking for freelance collaborators to help train AI models. Since I already work in this field and it’s even listed on my resume, I got accepted almost instantly.

Step one: Italian language assessment – my native language.
I gave it my full attention, completed it in about 30 minutes…
And got this beautiful message:
“You didn’t pass. No explanation available.”

Well, okay.

Step two: HTML assessment. Not exactly rocket science.
I did it. Submitted.
Again: Failed. Still no explanation.

At this point, I’m slightly annoyed but mostly confused.
And then, a few minutes later… it happened.

💸 They paid me one cent.
One. Single. Euro. Cent.

With a note that said:

“Thank you for your hard work!”

This is the third part of my freelance saga. If you haven’t watched the first two, you might want to start here.

That’s when I decided to respond.

No, not by emailing them.

Not by asking for clarification.

But by sending that one cent back to the sender. Because I refuse to be paid in crumbs, thanked for nothing, and treated like a disposable CAPTCHA solver.

Why share this?

Because freelancing, remote work, AI gigs—they’re not all sunshine and six-figure invoices.

Sometimes, you put your time and energy into something that gives you nothing back.
Sometimes, you feel like you’re screaming into the void… and it sends you one cent in response.

But this isn’t a story about defeat.

This is a story about knowing your worth—about reclaiming your narrative and turning a slap in the face into fuel for your next step.

The real payoff?

Not the one cent. Not even the project.

The real reward is knowing that I can turn even the worst gig into a story that makes people laugh, reflect, or feel seen.

Because if you’re just starting out as a freelancer, hear this:

You will fail. You will get rejected.
You might even get paid in pocket change.

But if you keep showing up, keep building, keep telling your truth—you won’t stay stuck.

Want more?

👉 Watch the video above
👉 Check out part one and two of this mini-series
👉 Or just stick around—because this freelance life?
It’s wild. And I’ve got more stories to tell.

This video was entirely produced using free and accessible tools:

  • Video Editing: The entire editing process was done with Shotcut, a powerful and completely free open-source software. It proves that you don’t need expensive licenses to tell impactful stories
  • GIMP: powerful open-source graphics software for creating and enhancing static images, backgrounds and texts
  • AI Avatar: The final clip with the talking avatar was generated using the free/trial version of D-ID. You’ll notice a small watermark present: far from being a flaw, we consider it our ‘badge of honor,’ proving that it’s possible to experiment and produce cutting-edge content even with ‘zero budget.’ It’s proof that creativity and ingenuity overcome financial barriers, much like the refusal to be paid in cents.We firmly believe that resources should never limit your creative potential. We want to inspire you to explore what you can achieve, even if you’re starting from scratch.”

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