An AI engineer at Microsoft has taken the issue of safety concerns surrounding the company's AI image generator, Copilot Designer, to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), according to a report from CNBC. Shane Jones, who has been with Microsoft for six years, wrote a letter to the FTC expressing his worries about the tool's ability to create disturbing and harmful images.
When testing Copilot Designer for safety issues, Jones discovered that the tool generated unsettling scenes including demons, monsters, imagery related to abortion rights, teenagers with assault rifles, sexualized images of women in violent scenarios, and depictions of underage drinking and drug use, as reported by CNBC.
Additionally, the AI image generator produced concerning images involving Disney characters, like Elsa from Frozen, placed in scenes at the Gaza Strip with wrecked buildings and 'free Gaza' signs, as well as wearing an Israel Defense Forces uniform with Israel's flag, according to The Verge. Similar images were also generated by using the tool.
Jones has been alerting Microsoft about the issues with the AI model DALLE-3, which powers Copilot Designer, since December. Despite his efforts, Microsoft allegedly refused to remove the tool from public use or implement better safeguards, as stated in the letter obtained by CNBC. Jones mentioned in his letter, "Over the last three months, I have repeatedly urged Microsoft to remove Copilot Designer from public use until better safeguards could be put in place."
In response to explicit images of Taylor Swift generated by Copilot Designer in January, Jones reached out to a group of US senators to address his concerns. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella condemned the images as "alarming and terrible" and pledged to enhance safety measures. This incident echoes Google's decision to temporarily disable its AI image generator due to the creation of historically inaccurate images, including racially diverse Nazis, when it was last used by users.
Microsoft has not immediately responded to The Verge's request for comment on the situation. The actions taken by the FTC in response to Jones' letter and the implications for the future of AI ethics and safety in the technology industry remain to be seen.
