X.ai’s Virtual Assistants Were Just Real People
Before X.ai was Elon Musk’s AI company, the AI startup had a rocky history. In 2016, X.ai offered virtual assistants that had access to your calendar and could correspond with you over email. However behind every email was a human, including one 24-year-old who spoke with Bloomberg.
Humans, posing as AI, responded to emails, scheduled meetings on calendars, and even ordered food for people. Once again, it was a case where the company claimed that the AI was in its early stages. In reality, it was barely doing anything, while humans did all the impressive parts.
