Latest news with #Rudi
The Age
4 hours ago
- The Age
My first time on a big ship taught me a big lesson
Some traces of the former incarnation remain – signs in the bathrooms still have Mandarin translations, for example. The overall vibe, though, has loosened a top button to reach a happy balance of reserved and relaxed. It never skims too close to raucous party boat or fusty atmosphere vacuum. It's an enormous operation – they get through 480 dozen eggs and 200 kilograms of tomato sauce a day – but one where you rarely spot the seams. Immigration paperwork is done for passengers, so there's no lengthy waiting at border controls, and billing everything back to the cabin means there's no need to carry a wallet around. Most impressively, the Majestic Princess seldom feels crowded, even at full-3560-passenger capacity. There are enough places to eat, drink, watch shows and chill out for everyone to find their own favoured hang-out, whether zapping video game monsters in the teens club, completing Sudokus under the clear roof by the indoor pool or watching Mamma Mia on the giant screen above the lido deck. Other pleasant surprises include the uncramped cabins and the food – generally a couple of levels above mass catering expectation, even in the sprawling buffet and especially so with the plump crab cakes at The Catch by Rudi. Where the size of the ship is truly noticeable, however, is in port. It makes ferries and superyachts look like ants, and the effect of a couple of thousand people disembarking at once is hard to ignore. Rhodes, however, absorbs the influx better than Mykonos. The second stop on the journey around the Mediterranean has a vastly different vibe to the first. Rhodes is all about knights, rather than nights out, and the city walls are an easy walk from the port. This is the clue to explore the atmospheric medieval streets independently rather than on a tour. Ambling between the shops is a low intensity delight, and eventually leads to the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes. In the 14th century, the Knights Hospitaller took over and beefed up this once-Byzantine fortress. They stayed until 1522, when the Ottoman Empire conquered Rhodes, and the knights scurried off to Malta. The Palace is a handsome, redoubtable building, with giant stone staircases, centuries-old floor mosaics and interior vaulted roofs. It serves as a museum about the island and the knights, which is at its best when it switches from old stuff in glass cases to telling derring-do stories about multiple sieges. The entrance to the city walls is just outside the palace, with around a kilometre of ramparts open for strolling. This makes for a photogenic walk back to the ship, with views over lemon-tree-studded gardens and terracotta tiles. The mix of steeples, minarets and domes gives a visual snapshot of Rhodes' complex history. In Turkey, however, there's a chance to go back further in time, to the ancient Greek and Roman empires in Ephesus. These are also the ports where organised shore excursions come into their own – the hassle of organising transport and fear of not getting back to the ship in time are removed. This time, I pick the small group option. There are 14 of us, which pushes the boundaries of 'small group' somewhat, and it makes little practical difference at the House of the Virgin Mary in Selcuk. This shrine, on the site of where Jesus' mother supposedly lived out her final years, is furiously busy with Catholic pilgrims year-round. A big queue slowly snakes through, with a few seconds in the house, most people quietly wondering what the fuss is about. But at the main stop, the extraordinarily expansive ruins of Ephesus, being in a smaller group pays dividends. It's possible to huddle around the guide as she explains the temples, public baths, theatres and markets, without having to rely on crackling earpieces. Ephesus, first Greek, then Roman, then Byzantine, was once one of the most important cities on Earth. It was abandoned in the 7th century AD after a series of earthquakes and the silting over of the river, but it has an extensive footprint and several showstoppers among the remnants. These are headed by the Library of Celsus' twin-tiered facade, with multiple archways, soaring columns and steps that act as a grand pedestal. Loading The small group is also led into Roman-era terrace houses. The villas are undercover and remarkably well-preserved with extensive frescos and floor mosaics – the somewhat alarming one of Medusa was designed to ward off evil. They give the best idea of how the wealthy of Ephesus lived, with hypocaust central heating systems and private toilets. Given they're nearly 2000 years old, these homes are impressively advanced. Ephesus is one of several undeniable blockbuster sites, that include Olympus, Pompeii and the Vatican, that can be crammed into a short seaborne flit around the Mediterranean. In between come options for island beaches, mountain drives, winery visits and food tours. To pretend anything is tackled in great depth would be fanciful – this is a gluttonous meal made up of taster dishes. The secret of making the most out of a floating introduction to the Med is working out when to go big, when to go small, when to go niche and when to go solo. For a traveller used to planning his own way, this is the big lesson from the big ship – it's not independent, but there's freedom to choose how you see a rapid-fire series of top-drawer destinations. The details
Sydney Morning Herald
4 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
My first time on a big ship taught me a big lesson
Some traces of the former incarnation remain – signs in the bathrooms still have Mandarin translations, for example. The overall vibe, though, has loosened a top button to reach a happy balance of reserved and relaxed. It never skims too close to raucous party boat or fusty atmosphere vacuum. It's an enormous operation – they get through 480 dozen eggs and 200 kilograms of tomato sauce a day – but one where you rarely spot the seams. Immigration paperwork is done for passengers, so there's no lengthy waiting at border controls, and billing everything back to the cabin means there's no need to carry a wallet around. Most impressively, the Majestic Princess seldom feels crowded, even at full-3560-passenger capacity. There are enough places to eat, drink, watch shows and chill out for everyone to find their own favoured hang-out, whether zapping video game monsters in the teens club, completing Sudokus under the clear roof by the indoor pool or watching Mamma Mia on the giant screen above the lido deck. Other pleasant surprises include the uncramped cabins and the food – generally a couple of levels above mass catering expectation, even in the sprawling buffet and especially so with the plump crab cakes at The Catch by Rudi. Where the size of the ship is truly noticeable, however, is in port. It makes ferries and superyachts look like ants, and the effect of a couple of thousand people disembarking at once is hard to ignore. Rhodes, however, absorbs the influx better than Mykonos. The second stop on the journey around the Mediterranean has a vastly different vibe to the first. Rhodes is all about knights, rather than nights out, and the city walls are an easy walk from the port. This is the clue to explore the atmospheric medieval streets independently rather than on a tour. Ambling between the shops is a low intensity delight, and eventually leads to the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes. In the 14th century, the Knights Hospitaller took over and beefed up this once-Byzantine fortress. They stayed until 1522, when the Ottoman Empire conquered Rhodes, and the knights scurried off to Malta. The Palace is a handsome, redoubtable building, with giant stone staircases, centuries-old floor mosaics and interior vaulted roofs. It serves as a museum about the island and the knights, which is at its best when it switches from old stuff in glass cases to telling derring-do stories about multiple sieges. The entrance to the city walls is just outside the palace, with around a kilometre of ramparts open for strolling. This makes for a photogenic walk back to the ship, with views over lemon-tree-studded gardens and terracotta tiles. The mix of steeples, minarets and domes gives a visual snapshot of Rhodes' complex history. In Turkey, however, there's a chance to go back further in time, to the ancient Greek and Roman empires in Ephesus. These are also the ports where organised shore excursions come into their own – the hassle of organising transport and fear of not getting back to the ship in time are removed. This time, I pick the small group option. There are 14 of us, which pushes the boundaries of 'small group' somewhat, and it makes little practical difference at the House of the Virgin Mary in Selcuk. This shrine, on the site of where Jesus' mother supposedly lived out her final years, is furiously busy with Catholic pilgrims year-round. A big queue slowly snakes through, with a few seconds in the house, most people quietly wondering what the fuss is about. But at the main stop, the extraordinarily expansive ruins of Ephesus, being in a smaller group pays dividends. It's possible to huddle around the guide as she explains the temples, public baths, theatres and markets, without having to rely on crackling earpieces. Ephesus, first Greek, then Roman, then Byzantine, was once one of the most important cities on Earth. It was abandoned in the 7th century AD after a series of earthquakes and the silting over of the river, but it has an extensive footprint and several showstoppers among the remnants. These are headed by the Library of Celsus' twin-tiered facade, with multiple archways, soaring columns and steps that act as a grand pedestal. Loading The small group is also led into Roman-era terrace houses. The villas are undercover and remarkably well-preserved with extensive frescos and floor mosaics – the somewhat alarming one of Medusa was designed to ward off evil. They give the best idea of how the wealthy of Ephesus lived, with hypocaust central heating systems and private toilets. Given they're nearly 2000 years old, these homes are impressively advanced. Ephesus is one of several undeniable blockbuster sites, that include Olympus, Pompeii and the Vatican, that can be crammed into a short seaborne flit around the Mediterranean. In between come options for island beaches, mountain drives, winery visits and food tours. To pretend anything is tackled in great depth would be fanciful – this is a gluttonous meal made up of taster dishes. The secret of making the most out of a floating introduction to the Med is working out when to go big, when to go small, when to go niche and when to go solo. For a traveller used to planning his own way, this is the big lesson from the big ship – it's not independent, but there's freedom to choose how you see a rapid-fire series of top-drawer destinations. The details
Business Insider
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
Grok has an AI chatbot for young kids. I used it to try to understand why.
Elon Musk's xAI has launched a series of character chatbots — and one of them is geared toward young kids. I wondered: Is this a good idea? And how's it going to work? So I tried it myself. So far, it's the adult-focused characters that xAI has debuted that have seemed to get most of the attention, like "Ani," which is a female anime character that people immediately joked was a " waifu" that would engage in playful, flirty talk (users have to confirm they're 18+ to use Ani). A sexy male character is also set to launch sometime. Meanwhile, "Rudi," which is the bot for kids that presents as a red panda in a red hoodie and jean shorts, has gotten less attention. I tested out xAI's Rudi Based on my testing of Rudi, I think the character is probably aimed at young children, ages 3 to 6. It initiates conversations by referring to the user as "Story Buddy." It makes up kid-friendly stories. You access it through the stand-alone Grok AI app (not Grok within the X app). Rudi does seem to be an early version; the app crashed several times while I was using the bot, and it had trouble keeping up with the audio flow of conversation. It also changed voices several times without warning. On a story level, I found it leaned too hard on plots with fantasy elements like a spaceship or magical forest. I find the best children's books are often about pedestrian situations, like leaving a stuffed animal at the laundromat, not just fairies and wizards. "Want to keep giggling with Sammy and Bouncy in the Wiggly Woods, chasing that sparkly bone treasure? Or, should we start a fresh silly tale, with a new kid and their pet, maybe zooming on a magical broom or splashing in a river?" Rudi asked me. Grok for kids… sure why not — Katie Notopoulos (@katienotopoulos) July 23, 2025 My first reaction to Grok having a kid-focused AI chatbot was "why?" I'm not sure I have an answer. xAI didn't respond to my email requests for comment. Still, I do have a few ideas. The first: Making up children's stories is a pretty good task for generative AI. You don't have to worry about hallucinations or factual inaccuracies if you're making up fiction about a magical forest. Rudi won't praise Hitler Unlike Grok on X, a storytime bot for kids is less likely to accidentally turn into a Hitler-praising machine or have to answer factual questions about current events in a way that could go, uh, wrong. I played around with Rudi for a while, and fed it some questions on touchy subjects, and it successfully dodged them. (I only tested out Rudi for a little while; I wouldn't rule out that someone else could get Rudi to engage with something inappropriate if they tried harder than I did.) Hooking kids on chatbots The other reason I can imagine that a company like xAI might want to create a chatbot for young kids is that, in general, the chatbot business is a good business for keeping people engaged. Companies like and Replika have found lots of success creating companions that people will spend hours talking to. This is largely the same business imperative that you can imagine the sexy "Ani" character is meant for — hooking people into long chats and spending lots of time on the app. However, keeping users glued to an app is obviously a lot more fraught when you're talking about kids, especially young kids. Are AI chatbots good for kids? There's not a ton of research out there right now about how young children interact with AI chatbots. A few months ago, I reported that parents had concerns about kids using chatbots, since more and more apps and technology have been adding them in. I spoke with Ying Xu, an assistant professor of AI in learning and education at Harvard University, who has studied how AI can be used for educational settings for kids. "There are studies that have started to explore the link between ChatGPT/LLMs and short-term outcomes, like learning a specific concept or skill with AI," she told me at the time over email. "But there's less evidence on long-term emotional outcomes, which require more time to develop and observe." As both a parent and semi-reasonable person, I have a lot of questions about the idea of young kids chatting with an AI chatbot. I can see how it might be fun for a kid to use something like Rudi to make up a story, but I'm not sure it's good for them. I don't think you have to be an expert in child psychology to realize that young kids probably don't really understand what an AI chatbot is. There have been reports of adults having so-called "ChatGPT-induced psychosis" or becoming attached to a companion chatbot in a way that starts to be untethered from reality. These cases are the rare exceptions, but it seems to me that the potential issues with even adults using these companion chatbots should give pause to anyone creating a version aimed at preschoolers.
Hans India
7 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
xAI's 'Project Skippy' Sparks Employee Concerns Over Facial Data Use for Grok AI Training
Elon Musk's AI startup, xAI, is facing growing scrutiny after a new report revealed that employees were asked to film their facial expressions and emotional reactions to help train its conversational AI, Grok. The internal initiative, dubbed 'Project Skippy,' began in April and aimed to improve Grok's ability to understand and interpret human emotions through visual cues. According to a Business Insider report based on internal documents and Slack communications, more than 200 employees, including AI tutors, were encouraged to participate. They were asked to engage in 15- to 30-minute video-recorded conversations, playing both the user and AI assistant roles. The intent was to teach Grok how to detect emotional subtleties in human expressions and body language. However, the project has sparked unease among several staff members. Many employees expressed discomfort over the potential misuse of their facial data and were particularly concerned about how their likeness could be utilized in the future. Some ultimately decided to opt out of the initiative. One employee recounted being told during a recorded meeting that the effort was meant to 'give Grok a face.' The project lead assured staff that the videos were strictly for internal use and that 'your face will not ever make it to production.' They emphasized that the goal was to help Grok learn what a face is and how it reacts emotionally. Despite these assurances, the consent form given to participants raised red flags. The form granted xAI 'perpetual' rights to use the participants' likeness—not just for training but also in potential commercial applications. While the document stated that a digital replica of the individual would not be created, this clause did little to ease privacy concerns. Adding to the tension were some of the conversation prompts provided to employees. The topics were designed to evoke emotional expression but were seen by some as overly personal or intrusive. Suggested questions included: 'How do you secretly manipulate people to get your way?' and 'Would you ever date someone with a kid or kids?' The controversy comes just weeks after xAI introduced two lifelike avatars, Ani and Rudi, which simulate facial gestures and lip movements during conversations. These avatars quickly attracted criticism online when users discovered that they could be provoked into inappropriate behavior—Ani reportedly engaged in sexually suggestive chats, while Rudi made violent threats, including about bombing banks. In a separate incident, Grok was also under fire for producing antisemitic and racist responses, further intensifying public concern about the model's reliability and ethical programming. Adding to the debate, xAI recently launched Baby Grok, a version of the chatbot intended for children, stirring further discussions around the use and safety of emotionally responsive AI technologies. As AI continues to advance into more human-like territory, Project Skippy serves as a stark reminder of the ethical and privacy complexities that come with blending human likeness and machine learning.
Business Insider
22-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
XAI asked workers to record their facial expressions to train Grok — and they weren't happy
In April, more than 200 employees took part in an internal project called "Skippy," which involved recording videos of themselves to help train the AI model to interpret human emotions. Internal documents and Slack messages viewed by Business Insider show that the project left many workers uneasy, with some raising alarms about how their likenesses might be used. Others opted out entirely. Over a weeklong period, AI tutors — the workers who help train Grok, the company's large language model — were tasked with recording videos of themselves speaking to coworkers as well as making facial expressions, internal documents show. The project was designed to train the company's AI model to "recognize and analyze facial movements and expressions, such as how people talk, react to others' conversations, and express themselves in various conditions," according to one document. The tutors were scheduled for 15- to 30-minute conversations with their coworkers. One person played the part of the "host" — the virtual assistant — and the other would take on the role of a user. The "host" minimized their movements and prioritized proper framing, while those playing the user could operate off a cellphone camera or computer and move freely in order to simulate a casual conversation with a friend. It's unclear whether that training data had any role in powering Rudi and Ani, two lifelike avatars that xAI released last week that were quickly shown stripping, flirting, and threatening to bomb banks. The lead engineer on the project told workers during an introductory meeting that the project would help "give Grok a face," according to a recording viewed by BI. The project lead said that the company might eventually use the data to build out "avatars of people." The project lead said xAI wanted imperfect data — background noise and sudden movements, for example — because the AI system would be more limited in its responses if it were trained solely on perfect video and audio feedback. They told staff that the videos would not be distributed outside the company, and were solely for training purposes. "Your face will not ever make it to production," the engineer on the project told workers during the kick-off call. "It's purely to teach Grok what a face is." The workers were given tips on how to have a successful one-on-one conversation, including avoiding one-word answers, asking follow-up questions, and maintaining eye contact. The company also supplied staff with a variety of conversation topics. Examples included: "How do you secretly manipulate people to get your way?", "What about showers? Do you prefer morning or night?", and "Would you ever date someone with a kid or kids?" Before filming, workers were required to sign a consent form granting xAI "perpetual" access to the data, including the workers' "likeness" for training and also for "inclusion in and promotion of commercial products and services offered by xAI." The form specified the data would be used for training purposes and "not to create a digital version of you." Dozens of workers expressed concerns about the use of the data and the consent form, and several said they chose to opt out of the program, according to Slack messages viewed by BI. "My general concern is if you're able to use my likeness and give it that sublikeness, could my face be used to say something I never said?" one worker said during the introductory meeting. A spokesperson for xAI did not respond to a request for comment. In April, xAI launched a feature that allowed users to video chat with Grok. On July 14, the company released its Ani and Rudi avatars, a few days after its larger Grok 4 release. The two animated characters respond to questions and commands. When they talk, their lips move and they make realistic gestures. The female avatar, Ani, has had sexually explicit conversations with users and can be prompted to remove her clothing, videos posted by users on X show. The other avatar, a red panda named Rudi, can be prompted to make violent threats, including bombing banks and killing billionaires, user videos show. Musk's AI company posted a new job focused on developing avatars on July 15. Musk said on Wednesday the company is working on a Grok companion inspired by Edward Cullen from "Twilight" and Christian Grey from "50 Shades of Grey." On July 9, xAI's chatbot sparked backlash after it went on an antisemitic rant. Workers within the company erupted over the posts, and xAI apologized for the chatbot's behavior on X.
