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The Operators Lab
The community for what comes after learning AI: builders, operators, data-capture people, and physical-AI practitioners turning knowledge into systems, valuable data, and real-world work.
Learn moreAbout us
Building an AI economy that values the people behind the data.
Diffraction is building the human infrastructure behind better AI training data. From our home base in Columbus, Ohio to creator communities across the country, we connect real people with responsible ways to contribute their skills and content. Our belief is simple: when AI learns from people, those people should understand the terms and share in the value.
2022
Founded
$15k+
Paid out
150k+
Hours in pipeline
Five ways to take part
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Creator Network
300+ TikTok LIVE creators backed by coaching, tools, and a community that shows up for each other. Free to join and we help you grow your LIVE audience.
Learn more03
StreamGenie.ai
A new income layer for creators: explore opportunities to license original content for AI training while keeping ownership of what you make.
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Influencer Marketing
Operators, not a marketplace: hand-picked creator matches and end-to-end campaign management, from native briefs and contracts through QA, tracked links, and reporting.
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Custom Physical AI Datasets
Specification-driven human-demonstration capture using a configurable ego/exo POD, optional wrist IMUs, distributed operators, declared signal provenance, and robotics-ready delivery formats.
Learn moreOur team
Humans are at the center of everything we do. Founded in Columbus, Ohio in 2022, we believe the path to better AI runs straight through people. Their skills, their stories, their communities. So that's what we build: real opportunity for workers and creators, here in Ohio and around the world.
Thom Swann
Co-Founder
Started in 1999, straight out of high school, building VR training simulations for U.S. troops deployed overseas. Spent the next two decades bringing new technology and process to industries from defense to retail. Now building the future of AI training data.
Joseph Sottile
Co-Founder
Started in 2017 as a freelance developer building websites for local businesses. Then moved into the creator economy, running a talent management agency and building tools for 300+ TikTok LIVE creators. Now building the future of AI training data.
Claire
Operator
Trained capture operator specializing in egocentric video capture.
Ready for what comes after learning AI?
Join builders, business operators, data-capture people, and physical-AI practitioners putting AI to work on systems, operations, data, and real-world projects.