Meta says European regulators are ruining its AI bot
What was the reaction of European regulators to Meta's decision to pause its AI training program?
European regulators welcomed Meta's decision to pause its AI training program. The UK Information Commissioner's Office expressed their pleasure that Meta had considered the concerns shared by users and responded to their request to pause and review plans to use Facebook and Instagram user data to train generative AI. This reaction indicates that the regulators are taking data privacy concerns seriously and expect companies like Meta to comply with privacy regulations.
What specific objections did Ireland's privacy regulator raise against Meta's AI assistant plans?
Ireland's privacy regulator, the Data Protection Commission (DPC), raised objections against Meta's AI assistant plans, specifically requesting the company to delay training its large language models on content that had been publicly posted to Facebook and Instagram profiles. The DPC's request followed a campaign by the advocacy group NOYB (None of Your Business), which filed 11 complaints against Meta in several European countries. The complaint hinged on Meta's legal basis for collecting personal data. NOYB founder Max Schrems argued that Meta's claim of being able to use any data from any source for any purpose through AI technology is the opposite of GDPR compliance.
What consequences did Meta highlight if it is not allowed to use local data for training its AI models?
In its blog post, Meta highlighted that if it is not allowed to use local data for training its AI models, it can only deliver an inferior product. The company stated, "Put simply, without including local information we'd only be able to offer people a second-rate experience." As a result, Meta mentioned that it isn't able to launch Meta AI in Europe at the moment.