The recording and labeling of images is used to improve the computer vision of the vacuum cleaner robot

The seemingly harmless robot vacuum cleaners in your home may be sending sensitive photos of you to train artificial intelligence (AI).

Footage of a woman sitting on the toilet in her thigh-length shorts being picked up by a robotic vacuum cleaner has been shared on private Facebook and Discord groups, MIT Technology Review reported.

iRobot, the company that owns the Roomba vacuum cleaners that captured the photos in question, confirmed that gig workers outside the US shared the intimate photos of unsuspecting users on social media.

The photos were among 15 screenshots of images shot in 2020 of special development versions of the Roomba J7 series of robot vacuum cleaners.

The images were shared on social media by gig workers in Venezuela whose job it is to tag audio, photo and video data to train the company’s artificial intelligence.

Footage of a woman sitting on the toilet in thigh-length shorts was captured by a robot vacuum cleaner (Photo: Unsplash)

According to iRobot, the robot recordings were given to testers and collaborators who specifically authorized their data, including video recordings, to be shared with iRobot.

However, that data is shared with low-cost contractors who handle everything from stopping malicious social media posts to transcribing audio recordings to improve voice assistants.

According to MIT Technology Review, labelers had been discussing the images on Facebook, Discord and other online groups they created to share advice on processing payments and labeling tricky objects.

iRobot told the publication that the images came from its devices in France, Germany, Spain, the US and Japan.

The images in question contain a mix of everyday interior photos, including furniture, and include descriptive labels such as “television,” “plant_or_flower,” and “ceiling light.”

Robot vacuum cleaner

Gig staffers outside the US shared the intimate photos of the unsuspecting users on social media (Photo: Unsplash)

iRobot has teamed up with Scale AI, a San Francisco startup that relies on gig workers to inspect and tag audio, photo, and video data used to train artificial intelligence.

Image capturing and marking is used to enhance the robotic vacuum cleaner’s computer vision to determine the size of a room and avoid obstacles such as furniture and cables.

Only advanced robots on the market, such as the Roomba J7, have computer vision and currently cost around £459.

The company has previously said it has shared more than 2 million images with companies like Scale AI.

iRobot has since terminated its relationship with the “service provider that leaked the footage” and is actively investigating the matter and “taking steps to prevent a similar leak from a service provider in the future.”

In August, Amazon signed a deal to acquire Roomba maker iRobot for $1.7 billion.