Musk's xAI teaching its AI to talk about zombies, Mars
What's the story
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence (AI) company, xAI, is taking a unique approach to improve the way its voice assistant communicates. Instead of just feeding it facts or pre-written lines, the company is training it with conversations on unusual topics like surviving a zombie apocalypse or living on Mars. The goal is to make the AI sound more natural and less robotic.
Data collection
Freelancers paid to discuss various topics
The unusual conversations are being recorded by freelancers hired through a company called Scale AI, according to Business Insider. These workers are paid to talk about a range of topics, from superhero dilemmas and plumbing problems to philosophical questions and personal anecdotes. The recordings are intended to help xAI create a voice assistant that feels more like talking to an actual person.
Innovative training
About 'Project Xylophone'
This unique training initiative is part of "Project Xylophone." Freelancers are asked to have casual-sounding conversations in different languages and styles, either alone or in groups. Some even involve role-playing or adding background noise to make the recording feel real. About 10% of the prompts reportedly involve science fiction topics, including life on other planets.
Model enhancement
Grok might be behind this initiative
While xAI hasn't confirmed if this data is specifically for Grok, its AI model that recently got a voice update, the timing suggests it could be. The larger idea is to give Grok a more human tone by training it with a range of real-life as well as imaginary conversations. This approach could make future AI chatbots more relatable and easier for people to interact with.
Ethical considerations
Concerns over data use and realism of AI
Despite its innovative approach, xAI's method of using real conversations with emotional tones, jokes, and even odd topics raises concerns over fairness in data use and how realistic the AI becomes. The payment for these tasks varies, with some freelancers saying the rate has dropped recently. However, this project shows how far AI companies are going to make their bots sound more human.