Google is using user data to train AI

The world's largest tech giant, Google, has begun collecting personal user data, including photos, videos, and audio recordings, to improve its AI models through recent changes to its privacy policy. This update means that the digital footprints of millions of people using the company's services will now serve to train neural networks. This is reported by Techcrunch.com reports .

Announced via emails sent to users in June, these changes were initially presented as a convenience for personalizing recommendations and managing history. However, according to analysis by ixbt.com and other tech publications, Google has effectively coerced users into providing their data for AI training. Now, any media file uploaded to Google Search services will be processed by the system unless the user manually changes the settings.

The new rules apply not only to the search engine but also to other popular Google services. These include Google Maps, Shopping, Flights, Hotels, Translate, and Google News. For example, if you search for an item by taking a photo via Google Lens, that image may be saved to train AI models. Similarly, if you practice your pronunciation via Google Translate, your voice recordings will remain on company servers as training material.

A new era of data collection

There is currently a race in the technology industry to collect data by any means necessary to improve AI services. While companies previously limited themselves to scraping text from the open internet, user-generated content has now become the primary source. In its official explanations, Google stated that stored media files are necessary to strengthen security measures and develop generative AI models.

Company documents note that the collected data may be reviewed not only by algorithms but also by human reviewers. This raises serious questions regarding privacy. Other giants like Meta are using similar methods, utilizing user photos from Instagram and Facebook for their own AI systems.

This news is also relevant for users in Uzbekistan, as the Google ecosystem is the most widely used digital platform in the country. If you do not want your personal photos or voice to be used in training AI models, you should restrict these functions or change the data retention period via the "Search Services History" and "Personalized Recommendations" sections in your Google account.

In conclusion, in the era of modern technology, users are "paying" for free services with their data. Companies like Google are increasingly pushing the boundaries of personal privacy to lead the AI race.