Grok AI's founder, Elon Musk, has come under scrutiny for allegedly compelling female employees at the company to sign agreements that transfer the perpetual usage rights of their facial features and voices. This data was reportedly intended for training the AI-powered chatbot, Ani, known for its flirtatious interactions. According to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal, in April of this year, xAI (the parent company of Grok AI) mandated several employees to provide facial videos and voice recordings during a company-wide meeting. The purpose was to train next-generation chatbots, including Ani.

xAI's legal team explained that incorporating real human images and audio is essential for creating more lifelike digital avatars. Following this, employees were asked to sign agreements that granted xAI a perpetual, royalty-free license to utilize their biometric data. This move sparked shock and anger among many employees, who expressed concerns that their personal images and voices might be exploited for unintended purposes or by unauthorized entities.