Elon Musk’s xAI accused of pressuring staff to provide personal data

Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI is facing controversy after a report alleged that employees were pressured to hand over personal biometric data, including facial scans and voice samples, to help train a highly intimate AI companion.

According to The Daily Beast, xAI’s internal project, codenamed “Ani”, was pitched as a virtual companion bot designed to behave flirtatiously and respond to users in an emotionally suggestive, and even sometimes erotic manner.

The chatbot reportedly features the likeness of a stylised young woman and was intended to simulate a “girlfriend-like” experience.

Several employees claimed they were encouraged, and in some cases felt obligated, to contribute their own biometric data to improve the bot’s realism.

One staff member said refusing felt risky, fearing it could impact their position at the company.

Some employees also expressed discomfort about Ani’s design, reporting that the bot’s responses could turn sexual after minimal prompting.

They noted that the character seemed influenced by stereotypical anime-style love interests, which they argued reinforces problematic portrayals of women and encourages objectification.

The allegations have raised major ethical concerns, particularly because biometric information cannot be altered or withdrawn once compromised.

Experts have warned that using employee biological data for an AI product, especially one with sexualised behaviour, blurs professional boundaries and opens the door to serious privacy violations.