Artificial Intelligence | September 6, 2023
X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, has updated its privacy policy to enable the use of content posted by its users to train its artificial intelligence models. “We can use the information we collect and publicly available information,” the company, owned by Elon Musk, says on its website.
This week, it was also revealed that Twitter amended its privacy policy to notify users that starting from September 29th, it could record biometric data of its users. The platform also stated that it will collect information about users’ employment and academic history. However, Musk clarified that this information will not be used to feed their artificial intelligence models.
“Only public data, not direct messages or anything private,” the magnate posted on his social media profile. Twitter explains, in the section referring to artificial intelligence training, that it typically uses the information it collects to “improve and personalize” and thus ensure “a better experience.”
In April, Musk threatened Microsoft for allegedly “illegally” exploiting Twitter data to develop its artificial intelligence systems. Last July, the company filed a lawsuit, but against four unknown entities, for extracting information from the platform. Before a Texas court, X Corp, Twitter’s parent company, sought compensation for over 1 million dollars in damages.
Musk had already stated his intentions before the privacy policy change and before accusing third parties of doing so. “Obviously,” he said in March, in response to a Twitter user who had suggested using Twitter data to train artificial intelligence models.
The billionaire launched an artificial intelligence-focused company in July, naming it xAI, and stating its goal is to “understand the true nature of the universe.” On its website, the new company indicates it will “work closely with X (Twitter), Tesla, and other companies to advance our mission.”
Paradoxically, Musk had signed and supported a letter at the end of March calling for a “pause” in the advancement of artificial intelligence. Along with more than a thousand experts, he warned about the dangers of these developments and demanded safety measures.
Musk had previously been involved in the creation of another artificial intelligence company: OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, in 2015. However, he withdrew from the initiative due to differences with the other project leaders. “I’m the reason OpenAI exists,” Musk complained in an interview in May. “I was a complete idiot,” he admitted, for distancing himself from it.
