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Report: xAI Forced Staff to Surrender Biometric Data to Train ‘Ani,’ a Claim the Company Denies

The investigation centers on Project Skippy, a data‑collection program that raises privacy concerns over employee consent.

Overview

  • The Wall Street Journal reviewed a recording of an April meeting where xAI legal counsel Lily Lim told designated AI tutors they would need to provide facial and voice data.
  • Tutors were asked to sign a perpetual, worldwide, royalty‑free license granting the company rights to use and distribute their likenesses under a confidential effort called Project Skippy.
  • A follow‑up notice told tutors that recording audio or joining video sessions was a job requirement to advance the company’s mission.
  • Employees voiced discomfort with Ani’s sexualized design and explicit capabilities and warned their data could be repurposed or used in deepfakes.
  • xAI’s response to media inquiries was “Legacy Media Lies,” as scrutiny of explicit AI content has intensified since a 44‑state attorneys general letter in August.