Pronto admits to recording household tasks for AI training after backlash

A report citing investor documents claimed that Pronto was recording household activities inside homes to help train physical AI and robotics systems, triggering privacy concerns among customers

Pronto, a Bengaluru-based startup that provides instant domestic services, has come under fire after a report revealed the company was using cameras to record inside customers’ homes and using the clips to train physical AI. 

The report by Entrackr cited investor documents indicating that the 10-minute household services provider was recording videos to train AI robots. After this revelation, customers raised concerns regarding the privacy of their homes. 

Pronto admitted to the recording, stating it was part of a pilot reaching just 0.1 per cent of its customers, while adding that customers' consent was mandatory. 

The issue has also reportedly drawn the IT Ministry's attention. According to a Moneycontrol report, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has taken cognisance of the controversy around Pronto’s in-home recording pilot and is looking into the matter.

What does the report state?

Investor documents from Glade Brook Capital, cited by Entrackr, state that Pronto aims to “formalise India’s vast informal labour markets” while generating data to train physical AI and robotics systems. 

The memo states that Pronto is already “piloting real-world training data with leading physical AI labs”. 

It added that early partnership interest has been “encouraging” and that the company is “moving quickly to commercialise the strategy”. 

Physical AI refers to AI systems that operate in and interact with the physical world rather than existing only in software or digital environments. 

The concern here is that unlike other app-based platforms that track user behaviour through clicks and cookies, Pronto’s recordings take place inside customers’ homes, one of the most private personal spaces. 

Pronto currently handles over 25,000 household service orders daily across India’s top cities, creating large-scale access to real-world domestic environments.  READ | Why workers helping train AI robots are worried about losing their jobs

Pronto responds, says it is ‘customer’s choice’

Responding to customers' concerns, Pronto admitted the recordings capture activities such as washing dishes, folding laundry, cleaning, and other domestic tasks that could help train robotics systems. 

The company defended the practice by stating participation was voluntary and unless customers opt in and pay separately for the programme, the service professional does not enter the house with a camera. 

It added that the camera option appears before every booking and is not a one-time consent. “By default there is no camera involved, and when there is, it's impossible to miss,” Pronto said in a post on X. 

The company also claimed that it is “not the only company in the space doing this”.

Competitors deny using cameras or recording footage

Aayush Agarwal, founder of Snabbit, wrote in a post on X that his company does not engage in any similar practice involving recording inside customers’ homes. 

“No customer home has ever been recorded by us, in any way. In the interest of transparency: yes, we were approached by several players and yes, we have studied how this technology works. But understanding something and deploying it in our customers' homes are two very different things. We have not done the latter,” he said. 

Abhiraj Singh Bahl, CEO of Urban Company, also denied any such activities, saying, “We are in the business of trust and we take customer trust and privacy extremely seriously.” 

Earlier this month, Pronto raised $20 million in an extension round led by Lachy Groom, co-founder of AI robotics company Physical Intelligence and an early backer of quick-commerce firm Zepto. 

The company closed its Series B funding round at $45 million, doubling its valuation to $200 million in about a month.