Energize Lab will engage an independent security firm to conduct a comprehensive review of all its systems. Shaw Yeung, the founder and CEO of Energize Lab, is overseeing the company that produces Eiliko, a robot charm featuring built-in AI conversations.
The company has already taken several technical measures, including closing all external access to backend systems and rotating all access credentials. Specific features such as custom avatars and long-term memory have been taken offline, and the company will not restore them until the security review confirms they are safe.
Energize Lab also disabled the interface that permitted remote modification of a robot's responses and stated it no longer stores user profiles or conversation records. The firm plans to delete existing avatar images, user profiles, and stored conversation records while establishing a dedicated contact email at [email protected].
Reports indicated that the company's systems were still hosting audio recordings and photos of customers at unsecured public web addresses. Security concerns also included claims that Sammy Azdoufal retained full SSH access to the robots, potentially allowing him to read transcripts and alter the toy's behaviour.
Critics have argued that the company's assertion of closing all external access is inaccurate. Energize Lab admitted it failed to sync with its technical team in a timely manner after receiving information and noted that The Verge and Sammy Azdoufal spent over a month attempting to contact the firm.
The company stated, "We have confirmed the core issues identified in your reporting and are addressing each of them." The firm added, "We know that words alone will not earn that trust back," and said, "We intend to earn it through what we do in the coming weeks, and we will keep you informed as we go."
The app will now only offer built-in avatars, and the company will provide a progress update once the security review concludes.
