The company wanted to use this controversial program to help train its AI.
Alex Valdes of Bellevue, Washington, has been pumping content into the Internet for some time, including MSNBC.com, MSN, Bing, MoneyTalksNews, Tipico and more. He admits to being somewhat fascinated by the Cambridge cafe webcam in the roaring 90s.
The meta controversial surveillance toolwhich tracked staff keystrokes, mouse clicks and content to train the company’s AI models, did not work as expected. The Model Capability Initiative, implemented in April and heavily contested by staff, was suspended following an incident in which employee data became accessible to the entire company.
In recent weeks, more than 1,600 Meta employees, including software engineers, scientific researchers and designers, have signed a petition calling on the company to stop collecting and reusing employee computer data.
“We collectively believe that empowering individuals and communities by developing responsible AI involves respecting their borders and privacy,” the petition states. “Any approach to AI that relies on intrusive, coercive, non-consensual data collection contradicts this principle.”
Business Insider reported that the software tracked apps and programs such as Gmail, Google Chat, and Metamate, an AI assistant for employees, as part of its data collection. The data tracking software also captured screenshots. It is unclear whether he will be reinstated.
Citing an internal security advisory and information from three Meta employees, Wired reported that private conversations, prompts, transcripts and performance reviews were exposed to “anyone within the company.”
In a statement obtained by Wired, a Meta spokesperson said the company was investigating the incident and would stop data tracking indefinitely.
“We carefully designed this program with privacy safeguards, and while we have no indication at this time that Meta employees inappropriately accessed any data, we are suspending it while we investigate,” the spokesperson said.
A representative for Meta did not respond to CNET’s request for comment.
Employers Accelerate the Use of AI
Meta, which is spending at least $135 billion on AI infrastructure this year, is among several major tech companies ramping up their investments in AI, including Amazon ($200 billion), Microsoft ($190 billion) and Alphabet ($185 billion).
Meta AI, the company’s main chatbot, is integrated with its major social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook.
According to leaked audio during an internal company meeting on April 30, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said it made sense to use his own employees to train the AI.
“AI models learn by watching really smart people do things. … The average intelligence of the people who work at this company is significantly higher than the average of the people you can get to do tasks,” Zuckerberg said.
Rory Mir, director of open access and tech community engagement at digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation, said Meta employees were right to oppose an invasive practice that raises concerns about privacy, consent and trust.
“The search for new data for AI training is not an excuse,” Mir told CNET. “Such disproportionate surveillance of workers constitutes an abuse of power and highlights the need for legislation to protect worker privacy by requiring consent and due process.”
Companies monitor the extent to which their employees use the company’s AI tools in their daily work. CNBC reported in May that “nearly every Fortune 500 tracks overall AI usage” to determine whether workers are using it effectively and maximizing its potential.
Alex Valdes of Bellevue, Washington, has been pumping content into the Internet for some time, including MSNBC.com, MSN, Bing, MoneyTalksNews, Tipico and more. He admits to being somewhat fascinated by the Cambridge cafe webcam in the roaring 90s. See full bio
