The social network X has automatically activated a feature allowing user data to be used for training the Grok AI and has provided an option to opt out of sharing personal information on its web version.
All X users have the ability to control whether their public posts can be used to train Grok, the AI search assistant. This option is in addition to your existing controls over whether your interactions, inputs, and results related to Grok can be utilized. This setting is…
— Safety (@Safety) July 26, 2024
To disable the feature:
- open the settings page — https://x.com/settings/grok_settings;
- uncheck the box.
In addition to disabling permission, users can delete their chat history with the AI.
If the feature is enabled, the social network “may use posts, as well as interactions, inputs, and results for the purpose of training and refining Grok.” The information obtained “may be shared with the xAI service provider.”
Mobile device users will soon have the option to disable this feature.
The Irish Data Protection Commission has expressed a desire to “clarify” X’s new initiative, noted FT. The European regulator stated it has been collaborating with the platform “for months” regarding the plan to use user information for AI system development. A new request was sent to the company on July 26.
“We were surprised that they decided to do this,” said a Commission representative.
Privacy experts are concerned that X’s automatic data collection could violate EU regulations and lead to fines. They demand that before collecting personal information, the reason for the action should be disclosed and user consent obtained, FT highlights.
Earlier, it was reported that Meta is considering abandoning the launch of future AI models in the EU due to a lack of transparency regarding neural network training capabilities.
The company also postponed the launch of the Meta AI chatbot in Europe after the Irish regulator demanded a halt to the plan for training large language models.
Apple has postponed the launch of its AI product, Apple Intelligence, in the European Union in 2024 due to “regulatory uncertainty.”