Meta has announced it will soon begin training its artificial intelligence technology with public content shared by UK Facebook and Instagram users.
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The US multinational technology company Meta, formerly Facebook, says that the UK will be able to benefit by gaining earlier access to its latest ‘AI at Meta’ capabilities.
Furthermore, its generative AI models will be able to “reflect British culture, history, and idiom”.
Meta has faced a backlash to its plans online, particularly regarding the recent revelation that it has been using historical Facebook data of Australian users going back as far as 2007.
Stephen Almond, Executive Director Regulatory Risk at the ICO, spoke through the recent timeline of events that have led Meta to this point, while also offering the reassurance that it would be keeping an eye on the AI training programme:
“In June, Meta paused its plans to use Facebook and Instagram user data to train generative AI in response to a request from the ICO.
“It has since made changes to its approach, including making it simpler for users to object to the processing and providing them with a longer window to do so.
“Meta has now taken the decision to resume its plans, and we will monitor the situation as Meta moves to inform UK users and commence processing in the coming weeks.”
AI at Meta Launching Around the World
Meta believes that AI at Meta will also help to reflect the ‘diverse communities’ all around the globe, meaning that other countries will also have to decide whether they will agree to public information being used by the company.
The ‘leading’ social media industry publication, Social Media Today, explained that Meta paused its AI training programme in Brazil, as well as the UK, in July as a result of concerns voiced by authorities in both countries.
It was forced
Meta’s President of Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, shared the news that Brazil has since agreed to allow Meta to use its public posts for AI training.
Meanwhile, the former UK minister was reportedly displeased with the EU’s request for it to include an opt-out option for EU users, in accordance with its citizens’ “Right to Object”.
Clegg commented: “Given its sheer size, the European Union should do more to try and catch up with the adoption and development of new technologies in the U.S., and not confuse taking a lead on regulation with taking a lead on the technology.”
Data Transparency
Meta has said it welcomes the ICO’s guidance and it promises not to use people’s private messages with friends and family to train AI at Meta.
Moreover, it does not use any information from accounts of people in the UK under the age of 18.
Almond also commented on the need for transparency:
“We have been clear that any organisation using its users’ information to train generative AI models needs to be transparent about how people’s data is being used.
“Organisations should put effective safeguards in place before they start using personal data for model training, including providing a clear and simple route for users to object to the processing.
“The ICO has not provided regulatory approval for the processing, and it is for Meta to ensure and demonstrate ongoing compliance.”
Next week, UK adults using Facebook and Instagram will begin seeing pop-up notifications explaining its plans and how to object to their data being used.
