WEBDESK: Tech giant Meta has announced on Monday that it will start using public posts and AI interactions from users in the European Union (EU) to train its artificial intelligence models. This decision comes after a temporary pause due to privacy concerns raised by watchdog groups.
Meta launched its AI technology in Europe last month, a roll-out that was initially announced in June 2024 but delayed following regulatory concerns on data protection and privacy.
The data Meta will use includes public posts, comments, and conversations users have with its AI assistant on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. However, private messages and any data from users under the age of 18 will not be used for training purposes.
To comply with strict European data protection laws, Meta has said it will notify users in the EU about the AI training and offer them a clear way to opt out. Those who wish to prevent their public information from being used can fill out an objection form that will receive a link for.
The company argues that using EU data will help its AI models better understand different languages, cultural expressions, and local slang. This, in turn, will improve the performance of its AI in text, voice, video, and image outputs.
Other major tech companies like Google and Open-AI also use European data to train their AI systems. This move is part of Meta’s wider plan to stay competitive in the fast-evolving AI space.
Meta decided to pause the launch of its AI models in Europe last June after Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) told the company to delay its plan to harness data from social media posts. At the same time, it received backlash from advocacy group NOYB, which urged national privacy people to stop use of such content.
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