Google has recently made changes to its privacy policy, allowing the company to utilize publicly available data for training its AI products and services. The updated policy, effective from July 1, explicitly states that Google’s AI models, Bard and Cloud AI capabilities, can be trained using ‘information that’s publicly available online’ or obtained from ‘other public sources.’
By incorporating this update, Google aims to clarify to the public and its users that any publicly uploaded information could potentially be utilized in their current and future AI systems’ training processes.
This policy revision follows a class-action lawsuit filed against OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, an AI chatbot. OpenAI faced allegations of scraping private user information from the internet, including millions of comments from social media, blogs, and Wikipedia, without obtaining proper consent. The lawsuit argued that this act violated the copyrights and privacy rights of millions of internet users.
Additionally, Twitter’s recent imposition of tweet access limitations, based on account verification status, has fueled speculation about data scraping by AI. Twitter’s developers explained that rate limits were imposed to manage the volume of requests made to its application program interface (API). Elon Musk, the owner and former CEO of Twitter, even tweeted about the platform being subjected to excessive data pillaging, which degraded service for regular users.
In conclusion, Google’s updated privacy policy now permits the use of publicly available data for AI training purposes, aligning with the practices of other companies in the field. This move allows Google to enhance its AI models and services while raising important questions about data privacy and consent. It underscores the ongoing need for comprehensive regulations to protect individuals’ privacy rights in the age of advanced AI technology.