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If you use Google, you’re training its AI. Here’s how to opt out.
Google's recent privacy update allows the company to store more user-uploaded media, such as images and audio files, to train its AI models. Users are automatically opted in unless they choose to opt out through new privacy settings regarding Search Services History and Personalization introduced in June. This change reflects a wider trend in the tech industry towards leveraging user-generated data for AI improvements.
Key points
- Google updated its privacy settings to store more user data for AI training.
- Users now have media like images and audio recorded during searches saved for AI enhancement unless they opt out.
- The update was communicated via a customer email in June, opting users into the new data practices under the provision of enhanced control over their history.
- This affects not just Google Search, but also services like Maps, Translate, and others.
- Google encourages users to uncheck 'Save Media' in new privacy settings to avoid data collection.
Why it matters
- The shift highlights an industry trend where companies are increasingly dependent on user-generated content to improve AI services.
- Similar practices have been observed at Meta, which also trains AI on user media.
- By 2025, data privacy concerns will continue to evolve, especially with AI's growing reliance on user data.
Google's privacy update marks a significant shift in data handling practices, emphasizing the need for users to proactively manage their settings to protect their privacy as AI continues to reshape technological interactions.