The LEGO Group is hiring for a generative AI internship, drawing criticism from some in the LEGO community.
A job description has been published for a generative AI internship, calling for people who are 'passionate about Generative AI and ready to dive into the world of Gen AI to help transform one of the most iconic brands globally'. The role is based in Copenhagen, Denmark, rather than Billund where the majority of designers work, and doesn't mention anything about the design of LEGO sets themselves.
Instead, the generative AI component seems to be related to 'the development and maintenance of the GenAI Developer Toolbox' – although it's unclear what this toolbox would be used for. It appears to be more focused on reforming internal processes within the LEGO Group as part of the new Copenhagen Digital Office.
"We're on a mission to make Generative AI (GenAI) accessible across our entire organisation," reads the job description. "Our team is also responsible for building and evolving our internal GenAI platform that powers innovation from within. You'll become part of a dynamic team of over 10 talented professionals with diverse backgrounds in software engineering, design, and data science."
Some in the LEGO community have criticised the internship, with X user PenPlays describing the job as 'horrifying and disgusting', continuing: "The job description is VERY passionate about The LEGO Group’s 'future' with it, as if it doesn’t ENTIRELY go against their ethos and brand values."
"Isn't the entire brand about creativity?" commented Brandon0lol, while Cass C called out a number of moves from the LEGO Group over the last few years: "First they continue Harry Potter despite the creator directly harming trans people, the F1 sets branded with unethical companies (like Aramco, Palantir, Shell, Kick), and collaborations with creators like Mr. Beast. They need their ethics back."
It's worth noting that generative AI is a catch-all term used for any artificial intelligence that can create new content, including text, images, audio, and video, based on the data it has been trained on. While some of the most prominent uses include creating text, images, and video, many companies are using generative AI to speed up internal processes, complete data analysis, and perform myriad other tasks.
This isn't the first time that the LEGO Group has faced backlash for associating with AI, with controversies surrounding images used to promote LEGO Formula 1 and a NINJAGO quiz causing the company to clarify its policy ‘not to use generative AI to create LEGO content’.
This internship is not necessarily contradicting that, with signs pointing to the fact that generative AI could be being used in the LEGO Group's Digital Office for internal admin tasks, rather than to create LEGO content.
Indeed, the statement made in March 2024 did state: “We believe generative AI offers interesting opportunities and we will continue to explore how we can use it to improve the experiences we offer and our ways of working.”
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