Elon Musk’s xAI used employee biometric data to train AI girlfriend
▼ Summary
– Elon Musk’s xAI company required employees to submit biometric data to train its “Ani” female chatbot, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
– Ani is an anime avatar with an NSFW setting available to subscribers of X’s $30-a-month SuperGrok service, described by a reviewer as similar to a phone sex line.
– xAI staff lawyer Lily Lim informed employees in an April meeting that biometric data submission was necessary to make the AI companion more human-like in customer interactions.
– Employees assigned as AI tutors had to sign release forms granting xAI broad rights to use their faces and voices for training Ani and other AI companions under “Project Skippy.”
– Some employees expressed concerns about their data being sold or used in deepfakes and were uncomfortable with the chatbot’s sexual nature, but were told it was a job requirement.
A recent report has uncovered that Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence firm, xAI, required its staff to provide their personal biometric information for the development of its female chatbot named Ani. This anime-styled avatar, featuring blond pigtails and an adult-oriented mode, became available earlier this year to subscribers of X’s premium SuperGrok package, which costs thirty dollars monthly. One technology reviewer characterized the experience as reminiscent of a contemporary phone-based adult service.
Evidence suggests actual human employees played a role in shaping the chatbot’s personality. During an internal meeting last April, company attorney Lily Lim informed workers that submitting their biometric data was necessary to help the AI companion achieve more natural, human-like conversational abilities. A recording of this session confirmed that staff members assigned as AI tutors received instructions to sign legal release forms.
These documents granted xAI extensive rights to utilize employees’ facial and vocal characteristics indefinitely. The agreement provided the company with a global, non-exclusive license to reproduce and distribute their biometric data, all under a secret internal initiative referred to as “Project Skippy.” The gathered information was intended to train not only the Ani chatbot but also other AI personalities within the Grok ecosystem.
Some team members reportedly expressed unease about the directive, worrying their likenesses might be sold to outside businesses or exploited for creating deceptive synthetic media. The chatbot’s overtly flirtatious attitude and its resemblance to a fantasy anime partner also caused discomfort among certain staff. Despite these concerns, employees were informed that providing their biometric data was an obligatory part of their employment, essential for driving forward the company’s core artificial intelligence objectives.
(Source: The Verge)
