Meta Platforms has confirmed that it used public Facebook and Instagram posts to train its new Meta AI virtual assistant, with the aim of improving the performance of artificial intelligence and machine learning systems by studying real user behaviours and preferences. The company's president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, said that the vast majority of the dataset was publicly available, but did not clarify if the remaining material needed to complete the dataset was private, confidential data.
Meta also introduced MetaAI, an AI assistant with a broad range of personalities and functions, and revealed a collaboration with eyewear brand Ray-Ban to produce smart glasses integrated with MetaAI. The importance of user data in shaping these experiences cannot be understated, and Meta and its tech industry counterparts must balance groundbreaking technological strides and the sanctity of user privacy.