Meta is training AI model with data of British Facebook and Instagram users

Meta will begin training its AI model using public content shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram in the United Kingdom over the coming months.

It’s no secret Meta has plans to develop its own artificial intelligence (AI) technology. In order to train this AI model, the Menlo Park-based tech company needs information from its Facebook and Instagram users.

However, the intention of creating and developing an AI model caused a lot of commotion, both with users and regulators. That’s why in June Meta decided to hit the pause button and put its plans on hold.

Since then the company has had time to review regulatory feedback and has been in contact with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). According to Meta, the British data protection authority (DPA) welcomes the new approach by the company and has been given the green light to proceed with its plans.

“This means that our generative AI models will reflect British culture, history, and idiom, and that UK companies and institutions will be able to utilize the latest technology,” Meta says in a statement. The tech company wants to launch its AI technology in more countries and other languages later this year.

Meta wants to reassure British Facebook and Instagram users that the company will not use private messages to train its AI technology. Furthermore, the company won’t be using data from people in the UK that are under the age of 18. Instead, Meta will only be using public information from accounts from adults, such as public posts, comments, photos and captions.

Starting this week, Facebook and Instagram users in the UK will receive an in-app notification to explain what the company is doing. The notification will also say how people can opt-out so their data won’t be used to train Meta’s AI models.

“While our original approach was more transparent than our industry counterparts, we’ve incorporated feedback from the ICO to make our objection form even simpler, more prominent and easier to find. We’ll honor all objection forms already received, as well as new objection forms submitted,” Meta promises.

The ICO is happy to see that Meta is being more transparent about its AI plans, but points out that it’s the tech company’s responsibility to safeguard people’s privacy before it starts using personal data for training its AI model.

“The ICO has not provided regulatory approval for the processing and it is for Meta to ensure and demonstrate ongoing compliance,” Stephen Almond, Executive Director Regulatory Risk at the ICO, says in a press release.

As of writing, the Data Protection Commission (DPC) and Noyb haven’t responded to Meta’s plans to use personal information of Facebook and Instagram users in the UK to train its AI technology. We can however be sure they will monitor the latest developments closely.