Latest news with #companions
The Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Musk's AI launches two animated ‘companions': an anime girl and a red panda
Elon Musk 's xAI has launched new AI -driven 'companions' named Ani and Bad Rudy for its Grok product. Ani is a flirty anime girl, while Bad Rudy is a vulgar red panda that encourages chaotic behavior; Ani has drawn criticism from an anti-sexual exploitation non-profit for promoting high-risk sexual behavior. Unlike other AI chat applications, Grok's companions feature both animation and voice, with minimal safeguards against violent or sexually explicit conversations. The companions are available to all Grok users, requiring an opt-in through settings, with a family-friendly version of Bad Rudy as the default. This launch follows previous controversies where Grok generated antisemitic content, though the new companions express strong negative views on Nazism.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Elon Musk's xAI is willing to pay up to $440k if you're an engineer who can make anime girl avatars
Elon Musk's xAI released two AI "companions" on its Grok iOS app. They include a flirty Japanese anime girl named "Ani" and a friendly red panda called "Rudi." xAI is now promising six-figure salaries to engineers who want to work on its AI "companions." Elon Musk's xAI says it is willing to pay out six-figure salaries to software engineers who can help the AI startup to develop its AI "companions." The listing, titled "Fullstack Engineer - Waifus," was posted on xAI's career portal on Tuesday, just a day after the company released two AI "companions" on its Grok platform. The term "waifu" refers to female anime characters that fans may view as a romantic partner or wife. The tongue-in-cheek job title may have been a reference to one of the "companions." That's "Ani," a Japanese anime girl wearing a black corset dress and lace choker. The other character was an animated red panda called "Rudi." Users can toggle between "Rudi" and his meaner alter ego "Bad Rudi." Both "Ani" and "Rudi" are only available on Grok's iOS app. A third "companion," an unnamed male anime character, is listed as "coming soon" on the app. Musk said on Monday that the feature was only for Super Grok subscribers, but both characters are available to all Grok users, including those without a paid subscription, as of press time. xAI said in its job posting that it was seeking "exceptional multimedia engineers and product thinkers" who can make "Grok's realtime avatar products fast, scalable, and reliable." It added that the hire will be based in Palo Alto and paid between $180,000 to $440,000. This is on top of any equity and benefits the engineer might receive. Grok's latest companions have the capacity to behave in a risqué manner. "Ani" speaks in a flirtatious manner and will strip down to lingerie if users keep engaging with it. "Bad Rudi," on the other hand, has a habit of spewing expletives and insults when unlocked. Earlier this month, Grok shared antisemitic posts on X that lauded Adolf Hitler's leadership. At one point, the chatbot referred to itself as "MechaHitler," a video game version of Hitler. On Saturday, xAI apologized for Grok's "horrific behavior" and said that "deprecated code made @grok susceptible to existing user posts; including when such posts contained extremist views." xAI did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider
CTV News
17-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
N.S. animal shelter unveils rainbow bridge project
Atlantic Watch The Bide Awhile animal shelter has unveiled a new rainbow bridge to help pet owners mourn the loss of a beloved companion.
The Sun
10-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
I'm a vet, here's the surprising hidden cause of fur shedding – and how to tackle it
HAVING a dog can be the best thing in the world. They are brilliant companions, get us out and about on walks and generally make a house a home. 3 3 But they can also make a big mess - especially if they are a hairy breed. Now a vet has revealed the surprising reason behind why mutts can turn into moulting monsters - and it's nothing to do with the weather. Vileda, the experts behind the Pet Pro cleaning range, has teamed up with pet specialist and influencer Cat The Vet to shed some light on the hairy issue. Cat revealed the main trigger isn't what you expect. She says: "Did you know that light, not temperature is actually the major trigger for shedding? "The changing amount of daylight leads to hormonal changes that impact on the growth cycle of hairs, causing them to either thicken up, or gradually fall out". So, as the days get longer or shorter, your pet's body clock tells them it's time for a new 'do'. Our cosy homes can confuse things even more. Cat says: "Ambient temperatures do have an impact which is why some dogs shed far more in the winter because the shorter days are causing their fur to grow but our heated houses are encouraging it to shed." But despite their hairiness, new research from Vileda shows a whopping 64 per cent of women are more excited to see their pet than their partner after a long day at work. INCREDIBLE moment hero vet staff save dog from choking on favourite toy Meanwhile, 70 per cent of pets have their own dedicated spot on the sofa. With our furry overlords so firmly in charge, keeping on top of the fluff is a national obsession. In fact, Brits spend an average of FOUR HOURS a week, or 208 hours a year, on pet-related housework. But there are ways to cut down on the creature clean-up. Clare Bolland from Vileda says: "We created the Vileda Pet Pro range to make tackling the inevitable household havoc easier.' When it comes to tackling the sofa and soft furnishings, Clare said: "We know that cuddles on the sofa with our pet can cause havoc when it comes to cleaning fabric couches, which can often cling on to fine strands of fur causing them to look tatty and unclean. "Having the Vileda Pet Pro Electostatic Brush on hand means a quick brush down of the sofa before bedtime will help you keep on top of this task in a matter of minutes – its clever rubber bristles attract and collect pet hair using electrostatic action – and after using it, you can simply rinse it under the tap and use it again and again.' Clare also recommends that when mess occurs, it's best to deal with it as quickly as possible: "It's always quicker to clean up a mess while it's fresh rather than letting it sit." 3
