Meta will train its AI on public data from British users on Facebook and Instagram
Meta confirmed on Friday that it will train its artificial intelligence (AI) models on public data from Instagram and Facebook in the UK. The company had planned to use this data three months ago, but the plan was halted due to regulatory concerns. However, the social media giant confirmed that it has now been given the green light to proceed with the AI training. The company claimed that this would allow the AI models to more accurately reflect the cultures of British users.
In a news editorial messageMeta stressed that it had previously paused plans to train AI models with user data in the UK after the country’s regulators raised concerns about how the data would be used once collected and how users could opt out. However, it claimed that the company had “positively” engaged with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and would restart the plan. Meta stated that it will begin training AI with this data in the coming months.
The social media giant claimed that the reason behind training Meta AI on this data was to better reflect British culture, history and idiom when people interact with the AI. It further added that the tech giant aimed to reflect the diverse communities across the world by training on localised user data.
Meta highlighted how the company will collect data, clarifying that it will not collect information from users in the UK who are under 18. Private data such as messages sent to friends and family will also not be used to train AI. “We use public information — such as public posts and comments, or public photos and captions — from adult users’ accounts on Instagram and Facebook,” it added.
Starting next week, adult users in the UK will start receiving notifications on Facebook and Instagram explaining the details of what Meta is trying to do and how. Additionally, the notifications will also explain how users can access an appeal form to stop Meta from using their data to train generative AI models. Those who have already appealed will not receive any notifications and their data will not be used.
