A robot vacuum took pictures of a woman in the toilet…and the pictures ended up being shared on Facebook
- A robot vacuum cleaner took pictures of a woman sitting on the toilet to collect data
- They were sent to indentured laborers around the world to be categorized
- The images were then shared on Facebook and Discord by Venezuelan workers
By Jessica Warren for Mailonline
Posted: 15:51, December 21, 2022 | Updated: 16:20, December 21, 2022
A robot vacuum cleaner took photos of a woman sitting on a toilet, with the images eventually shared on Facebook.
The iRobot Roomba robot vacuum entered the bathroom and took intimate photos of the woman before they were shared among closed social media groups.
They were taken from a development version of the cleaning robot and sent to Scale AI, a software startup with workers from around the world.
Their job is to categorize data, which is then used to train artificial intelligence, such as the vacuum robot.
This helps them more accurately map their home surroundings, avoid obstacles, understand the size of the room and better adapt its cleaning pattern.
The iRobot Roomba robot vacuum entered the bathroom and took intimate photos of the woman before they were shared among closed social media groups. File image
iRobot said in the review that the development version of Roombas was given to employees and paid contractors who signed contracts acknowledging that their data, including video, would be sent to the company for training purposes. In the picture, the images are labeled by artists
The images were shared online on Facebook and Discord by Venezuelan contractors in 2020, MIT Technology Review reported Monday.
He saw screenshots of intimate photos from closed groups on social media, as well as other scenes from homes in Asia, Europe and North America.
“Photographs vary in appearance and sensibility. The most intimate image we saw was the video sequence showing the young woman in the toilet, her face blocked in the main image but not obscured in the grainy scroller below,” the review said.
Robot cleaning devices move freely around the house while vacuuming the floors. In the picture, the images are labeled by artists
The company also said the cleaning robots had a bright green “Video recording in progress” sticker. In the picture, the images are labeled by artists
iRobot said in the review that the development version of Roombas was given to employees and paid contractors who signed contracts acknowledging that their data, including video, would be sent to the company for training purposes.
The company also said the cleaning robots had a bright green “video recording in progress” sticker and it was the participants’ responsibility to “remove anything they deem sensitive from any space the robot is operating in, including children,” the review reported.
After the leaked data was noted, iRobot CEO Colin Engle told MIT Technology Review: “iRobot is terminating its relationship with the service provider that leaked the images, is actively investigating the matter, and [is] taking measures to prevent any such leakage by any service provider in the future.
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