---
title: "Report: OpenAI asks contractors to upload real work from past jobs"
description: "According to Wired, OpenAI and Handshake AI are asking for real Word, Excel and PowerPoint files to train AI. Legal experts warn of risks."
url: https://kurddevelopers.com/en/news/openai-contractors-upload-past-work
language: en # English
type: report (unconfirmed: rumour, leak or analyst claim)
published: 2026-01-10T20:00:00.000Z
updated: 2026-11-01T22:04:01.000Z
author: "Osamah Ismail"
author_url: https://kurddevelopers.com/en/author/1
section: "AI"
tags: ["OpenAI","training data","Wired","AI"]
sources: ["Wired","TechCrunch"]
image: https://kurddevelopers.com/uploads/2026/11/oai-go-blog-opengraph-1200x630-8af4cd0a.png
translations:
  ku: https://kurddevelopers.com/news/openai-contractors-upload-past-work
  ar: https://kurddevelopers.com/ar/news/openai-contractors-upload-past-work
publisher: Kurd Developers
publisher_url: https://kurddevelopers.com/
---

# Report: OpenAI asks contractors to upload real work from past jobs

> According to Wired, OpenAI and Handshake AI are asking for real Word, Excel and PowerPoint files to train AI. Legal experts warn of risks.

_Report: this story is based on reports, leaks or analyst claims that are not officially confirmed._

![Image: OpenAI](https://kurddevelopers.com/uploads/2026/11/oai-go-blog-opengraph-1200x630-8af4cd0a.png)

According to a **Wired** report, **OpenAI** and training-data company **Handshake AI** are asking third-party contractors to upload **real work** from their past and current jobs.

## What they want

A company presentation reportedly asks for "real, on-the-job work" contractors have "actually" done, as the actual file:

- Word, PDF, PowerPoint, Excel
- images or code repos

## Confidential data?

Contractors are reportedly told to remove proprietary and personal information first, and are pointed to a ChatGPT tool called **Superstar Scrubbing**.

## A legal warning

IP lawyer **Evan Brown** told Wired that any AI lab taking this approach is "putting itself at great risk".

OpenAI declined to comment.

*This is a report; OpenAI has not confirmed it.*

**Sources:** Wired, TechCrunch

---

Published by [Kurd Developers](https://kurddevelopers.com/) on 2026-01-10. Cite as: “Report: OpenAI asks contractors to upload real work from past jobs”, Kurd Developers, https://kurddevelopers.com/en/news/openai-contractors-upload-past-work