xAI workers balked over training request to help “give Grok a face,” docs show
Dozens of xAI employees expressed concerns-and many objected-when asked to record videos of their facial expressions to help "give Grok a face," Business Insider reported.
BI reviewed internal documents and Slack messages, finding that the so-called project "Skippy" was designed to help Grok learn what a face is and "interpret human emotions."
It's unclear from these documents if workers' facial data helped train controversial avatars that xAI released last week, including Ani-an anime companion that flirts and strips-and Rudi-a red panda with a "Bad" mode that encourages violence. But a recording of an xAI introductory meeting on "Skippy" showed a lead engineer confirming the company "might eventually use" the employees' facial data to build out "avatars of people," BI reported.