Microsoft contracts humans to review Copilot’s creepiest images

Microsoft has reportedly contracted humans to review the unsettling images generated by Copilot, the company's AI image creation tool. According to internal documents reviewed by 404 Media, contractors are tasked with evaluating how well the system adheres to user prompts. These images sometimes include exploitative and sexually explicit material, such as sexually suggestive images of young girls, breast enhancements, and pro-anorexia content.

The contractors, who are not hired to moderate the images, are paid to assess the quality of the output. One contractor expressed frustration, saying it's difficult to take things seriously when the focus is on factors like the model's bust size or the positioning of middle-aged women in sexually suggestive ways. Despite not being hired for moderation, the contractors are part of a "workforce of at least hundreds of human reviewers" who evaluate prompts and their outputs.

The practice of using human contractors to review AI-generated content is not new; last week, it was revealed that Meta's new AI that makes phone calls for users is actually just humans making calls for users. The use of contractors in AI development is a common practice, with companies like OpenAI employing contractors in Venezuela and Kenya to evaluate, correct, and refine prompts for a small fee.

However, the exploitative nature of these systems, particularly in generating sexually explicit images of child characters, raises concerns about the mental well-being of those involved in this unseen labor.