X confirms it will use public data to train AI models
Your X data isn’t so private after all
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Recent revisions to X’sprivacy policyhave confirmed that the social media platform will use users’ posts to train its AI models.
An extract from the updated section 2.1 reads: “We may use the information we collect and publicly available information to help train our machine learning or artificial intelligence models for the purposes outlined in this policy.”
The changes were first noticed and publicly documented by Stackdiary’sAlex Ivanovs, who has covered other privacy policy updates in recent months including a similar change affecting Zoom users.
X uses your data to train its AI
When X News Daily, an X account covering X-related news on the platform,postedabout the changes, Elon Musk confirmed in a reply: “Just public data, not DMs or anything private.”
Consumers have been told for years that if they are not paying for a product, they too could be the product. This is indeed the case for X users, who now see themselves contributing data to train the platform’s models.
For most users, this may be an acceptable price to pay for the free use of the platform, however it remains unclear whether paying X Premium (previously Twitter Blue) users are also subject to the same terms or whether they get enhanced privacy measures as standard.
Ivanaovs also noted Musk’s latest venture, the mysterious xAI, which in its current infancy says: “The goal of xAI is to understand the true nature of the universe,” promising to share more information later this year.
Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
Despite being a separate entity from X Corp, the company behind the social media platform, xAI’s website suggests that it will work closely with Musk’s other companies, including X and Tesla. Ivanovs reckons that X data may ultimately end up in the hands of xAI for training purposes, too.
X’s press email is still returning automated replies of a poop emoji in the absence of any real press workers, so getting comments from the platform continues to be a challenge.
More on X from TechRadar Pro
With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!
Nokia confirms data breach leaked third-party code, but its data is safe
Best CDN provider of 2024
Google is testing interactive voice searches with results that update in real time
