Meta Platforms Inc. has long been using artificial intelligence to help it serve users content and ads it thinks are most likely to interest them, but its new chatbot has thrust the company香蕉视频直播檚 use of the technology back into the spotlight.

The Meta AI chatbot embedded in the company香蕉视频直播檚 platforms 香蕉视频直播� Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp 香蕉视频直播� can be used for searches and to answer questions. A promotional page shows you can ask it for recipes, to generate images or to put together lists of popular guitar songs to play.

But it香蕉视频直播檚 also prompted some users to wonder how Meta香蕉视频直播檚 AI systems use their data and what, if anything, they can do to opt out of the new feature.

Where does Meta get the information it trains its AI models on?

Meta doesn香蕉视频直播檛 list every source that trains its AI models, but its privacy centre says it makes use of information that is publicly available online or licensed.

It also says it uses information shared through its products and services, like posts, photos and their captions.

What data does Meta say it doesn香蕉视频直播檛 use to train its AI models?

Meta香蕉视频直播檚 privacy centre says the company does not use private messages exchanged between users for training its AI systems.

While Meta香蕉视频直播檚 AI systems make use of public information collected from the internet or licensed from other providers, it does not link this data to accounts. For example, if it uses a public blog post featuring an author香蕉视频直播檚 name and contact information, the company says it doesn香蕉视频直播檛 later connect that content to the user香蕉视频直播檚 Meta account.

The company also says it did not train its foundational models 香蕉视频直播� Llama 2, Llama 3 香蕉视频直播� on user data.

If I don香蕉视频直播檛 use Meta香蕉视频直播檚 social networks, could the company still train its AI systems on my data?

It香蕉视频直播檚 possible.

香蕉视频直播淓ven if you don香蕉视频直播檛 use our products and services or have an account, we may still process information about you to develop and improve AI at Meta,香蕉视频直播� the company香蕉视频直播檚 privacy centre says.

香蕉视频直播淔or example, this could happen if you appear anywhere in an image shared on our products or services by someone who does use them or if someone mentions information about you in posts or captions that they share on our products and services.香蕉视频直播�

Can you opt out of letting Meta use your data?

Meta has a form available in its privacy centre called 香蕉视频直播淒ata Subject Rights for Third Party Information Used for AI at Meta.香蕉视频直播�

Users can fill out the form and select 香蕉视频直播淚 want to delete any personal information from third parties used for building and improving AI at Meta.香蕉视频直播�

Meta says it doesn香蕉视频直播檛 automatically fulfil requests sent using this form but reviews them to see if they are consistent with local laws that might require them to remove your data from their AI training.

How successful have Canadians been with this process?

Alanna Smith, a Toronto-based small business owner in the entertainment industry, filled out Meta香蕉视频直播檚 form in hopes of getting the company to not use her data for its AI systems.

In an email, she said the form was 香蕉视频直播渄eeply hidden and tricky to find.香蕉视频直播� It also required her to provide proof that her data has been used to train Meta香蕉视频直播檚 AI systems.

香蕉视频直播淗ow are we to 香蕉视频直播榩rove香蕉视频直播� that specific data or images are in this infinitely large artificial memory we don香蕉视频直播檛 even have access to review?香蕉视频直播� she questioned.

Smith is unsure whether her request was successful because she never got a confirmation acknowledging the request.

David Troya-Alvarez, a Meta spokesperson, did not respond to a question about how many Canadians have successfully opted out so far.

Other than the opt-out form, is there anything Canadians can do to limit Meta香蕉视频直播檚 ability to use their data for training its AI?

Brett Caraway, a media economics professor, said users can consider not using the platform altogether, but he realizes many people need the company香蕉视频直播檚 technology for their job or interpersonal communication.

香蕉视频直播淚f you香蕉视频直播檙e either unwilling or unable to do that, I tend to think closely about what is it that I香蕉视频直播檓 posting,香蕉视频直播� says Caraway, who has stopped using Facebook but keeps an inactive account.

Rather than fulfilling the itch to get information on the platform right away, he recommends people step away from their devices and decide whether it really needs to be on the platform and whether they香蕉视频直播檙e prepared for the company to potentially use the information.

Can I disable the Meta AI tool I see in my Facebook and Instagram search?

No. Troya-Alvarez, the Meta spokesperson, said in an email to The Canadian Press that Meta AI cannot be disabled.

香蕉视频直播淢eta AI aims to be a helpful assistant and is in the search bar to assist with your questions,香蕉视频直播� he said.

香蕉视频直播淵ou can香蕉视频直播檛 disable it from this experience, but you can search how you normally would to engage with a variety of results.香蕉视频直播�

While you can香蕉视频直播檛 turn the feature off, you can mute it by tapping the blue Meta AI circle in your Facebook or Instagram search bar and then hitting the blue circle with an 香蕉视频直播渋香蕉视频直播� inside it. From there, you will encounter a 香蕉视频直播渕ute香蕉视频直播� button letting you silence the chatbot.

Is Meta saving information from chats I have with its AI tool?

Yes. Meta香蕉视频直播檚 privacy centre says it saves the messages you send it, the AI香蕉视频直播檚 responsesand details about you so it can 香蕉视频直播渃arry on the conversation.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淔or example, if you share with the AI that you like Italian food, it will save that detail,香蕉视频直播� the company香蕉视频直播檚 privacy centre says.

香蕉视频直播淭hat way if later you ask for restaurants you might enjoy in New York, it should recommend Italian restaurants.香蕉视频直播�

How can I see what information Meta has on me from chats I had with its Meta AI tool?

Type in /saved-details in your Meta AI chat window or visit your account centre when logged into Instagram and Facebook. To download the information on WhatsApp, you can also type /download-all-ai-info into a chat with your AI.

How can I delete this information?

Type /reset-ai into individual chats you had with Meta AI in Messenger, Instagram or WhatsApp. By doing this, Meta says you essentially reset the AI because the move deletes its copy of your messages and the previous context of the conversation.

香蕉视频直播淵ou香蕉视频直播檒l still see your copy of the chat with the AI, but it won香蕉视频直播檛 remember the previous messages,香蕉视频直播� the company says.

What about other platforms?

Caraway, the University of Toronto professor, says even platforms that aren香蕉视频直播檛 using AI models yet might be inclined to later, so it香蕉视频直播檚 wise to think about how they could use your information before posting on them.

香蕉视频直播淢ost of the social media platforms are incentivized to either pursue their own AI tools, if they can afford it, or to partner with a third-party AI developer,香蕉视频直播� he says.

香蕉视频直播淚 would always just assume that either the platform itself is somehow tied to AI or there香蕉视频直播檚 another company out there that is ingesting all of the publicly available information for AI training. This is just part of the way the internet is structured now.香蕉视频直播�

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