Meta Platforms is expanding its AI experience from Friday, October 30, and will use public videos, photos and comments to develop its generative AI models unless users opt out beforehand. The company, which owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Threads, has updated its privacy information to inform users about the change, though many users have not seen a notification about it.
What the privacy update says
Meta's updated Privacy Centre information states: "We're getting ready to expand our AI at Meta experiences. To do this, we want you to know that we'll use public information such as public posts and comments from accounts of people aged 18 or older on the basis of legitimate interests. We'll do this to develop and improve generative AI models for our AI at Meta features and experiences."
Users who do not want their videos, photographs and comments used in this way can opt out before the changes take effect on October 30.
How to opt out
To opt out, users should open the app, access Settings via the three lines or cog in the top right corner, scroll to Privacy Centre, click 'Object' (highlighted in blue), and enter their email address. Those with multiple separate accounts will need to enter multiple emails. After this, an email will be sent accepting the decision to opt out, with additional information about Meta's AI experience.
What is generative AI?
Meta's Privacy Centre describes generative artificial intelligence as a tool to enable people to quickly create content. A statement reads: "For example, with generative AI, people can easily create new content such as images to share with friends and businesses can create text responses for any questions from their customers."
Generative AI is not a database or static collection of information but computer models trained on billions of pieces of information from different types of data such as text, images and audio. By studying this information, the models can learn relationships and associations between different types of content, allowing them to create new content when given instructions or a question.
Training data sources
According to Meta's website, the platform is using "information that addresses sensitive topics about others or yourself (for example, if you make a public post about something that's sensitive to you, such as your contact information)."
A statement adds: "We use this content to develop and improve AI at Meta, so our models can do things such as learn about sensitive topics without censorship or discrimination." Meta is not using people's private messages with friends and family to train its AIs unless someone in the chat chooses to share those messages. The company also states it is not using public information from accounts of users in the UK or EU under the age of 18, unless it was shared as part of interactions with AI at Meta features.
