How Unidata made human data collection for AI easy, fast, and global

Unidata needed a reliable way to get quality human data from diverse, global audiences for AI and ML training. Other platforms left them with slow recruitment, limited reach, and uneven data quality. Then they switched to Prolific.

The result: a partnership that enabled Unidata to scale data collection quickly and achieve 80%+ acceptance rates on data quality for its clients.

The challenge: Unreliable partners and limited global reach

Unidata provides end-to-end data solutions for AI and ML companies, from collection and expert labeling to LLM training, so AI teams can stay focused on building products. They handle tens of thousands of tasks daily across industries like medicine, finance, healthcare, and automotive.

Their clients need precise, legally compliant training data in formats that range from audio and images to video and text. This often involves precise annotation tasks requiring attention to detail, such as bounding boxes and segmentation. To deliver this, Unidata needs access to diverse, engaged annotators who can follow complex instructions and provide high-quality data.

Before partnering with Prolific, this wasn’t always that simple. 

Alexander Voytovich, account executive manager at Unidata, recalls the friction. "When we tried to recruit participants on other platforms, the recruitment was quite time-consuming. We had to spend a lot of effort on moderation, explanations, and corrections."

Participants often missed or misunderstood instructions. Motivation was inconsistent, which affected data quality. The platforms themselves created barriers - basic search tools, limited filtering, and payment systems that didn't work for B2B transactions.

"The audience reach was quite limited," Alexander explains. "The platform tools were pretty basic, without options for advanced search and filtering."

Project timelines dragged. Discussions could take months before work even started. For a company handling daily client requests, these delays were unsustainable.

Unidata needed:

• Reliable, motivated annotators who could deliver high-quality data
• Advanced filtering and global reach to meet diverse client requirements
• Fast deployment to keep pace with client demand

The solution: Verified, global annotators with precise targeting

Unidata chose Prolific after carefully evaluating partners.

"We chose to partner with Prolific because we wanted to be sure in our partner," Alexander says. "We liked Prolific because the audience reach was big - spread all around the world. More than 200,000 people are available on the platform. This is great for us."

They started with a small test project to validate quality. When the initial results exceeded expectations, they scaled quickly and started launching larger projects.

Recruiting the right participants, fast

Prolific's recruitment capabilities solved Unidata's biggest pain point.

The filtering went far beyond standard demographics. Unidata could search for annotators based on specific details or behaviors - like whether someone owns an Apple Watch or has a car.

Pre-screening surveys let them validate narrow audience requirements before launching full studies, saving time and reducing waste.

"Our team really likes the filtering system. It's very advanced compared to the competitor platforms we've used," Alexander notes. "Beyond standard filters like age, gender, and language, you can filter by whether they have an Apple Watch, what operating system they have on their computer, and many others."

Prolific's audience finder tool also enables Unidata to estimate the number of available annotators before launching, helping them plan projects with confidence. For more complex requirements, Prolific's screeners surface AI task-specific experience and domain expertise, making it easy to identify participants with the right skills for specialized annotation work.

Motivated participants delivering consistent quality

The difference in participant quality was immediate.

"We chose Prolific because it provided us with a wider audience reach," Alexander says. "The quality of the projects is around 80% or even more. The participants are very motivated and attentive."

This motivation translated directly to better data. Annotators followed complex instructions, submitted complete responses, and engaged thoroughly with tasks. The need for corrections and moderation dropped significantly.

Driving the success of complex global data projects

With access to Prolific’s global and expansive pool, Unidata can support clients with ambitious data collection projects that span the entire world.

For example, a large tech company needed images from people with specific backgrounds - such as Australians living in India or Thai people living in New Zealand - to complete a project with clear demographic requirements.

Each participant was asked to provide 20 images: 10 taken within the past two years, and 10 from the past decade.

Prolific's platform handled the full workflow from start to finish:

• Participant verification ensured only genuine respondents joined
• Advanced targeting identified the exact demographics required
• Built-in messaging enabled direct communication with participants when needed
• Automated payment processing handled international transactions seamlessly

This end-to-end approach eliminated the administrative overhead that had slowed down previous projects.

"It was challenging, but exciting," Alexander recalls. The project took several months to complete, with Unidata actively using Prolific's platform throughout. "We successfully completed the project, and the client was very satisfied."

The results: From six pilots to 25+ active projects

Since partnering with Prolific, Unidata has transformed how it approaches international data collection.

They started with six pilot projects. Today, they manage over 25 pilot projects, with one large project already completed.

Key outcomes:

• 4x growth in active projects since launching with Prolific
• 80%+ acceptance rates on Unidata’s quality metrics from motivated, attentive participants

"Prolific has become our main tool for international data collection projects," Alexander says. "The further we go, the better results we get."

Need to collect high-quality data from diverse, global audiences? Partner with Prolific to get instant access to 200k+ verified participants with advanced filtering and fast deployment.