Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, is facing allegations that female employees were required to provide biometric data – including facial and voice samples for the development of its anime-style AI avatar named Ani. Reports claim that participation was mandatory and that the project’s terms were not made transparent to staff.
The collected data was reportedly used to make the virtual character appear more human-like. Several employees said they felt pressured to comply due to the company’s internal expectations.
In response, xAI denied the allegations, calling the reports ‘false media claims’. The controversy adds to growing scrutiny around AI firms handling of personal data and the ethical boundaries of using employee likenesses in product development.