The AI boom runs on tens of millions of workers nobody has figured out how to pay, Papaya Global wants to fix that.

Papaya Global highlights the challenge AI labs and robotics startups face in managing and paying a rapidly growing, globally distributed workforce of contractors and gig workers, projected to reach 35 million in AI data roles and 435 million in the gig economy. The industry is evolving from simple hiring tools to complex infrastructure to handle diverse employment models amid shifting regulations.