Meta restarts plans to train AI using content from U.K. Facebook and Instagram users

Meta said Friday it is reigniting plans to train its artificial intelligence systems on public Facebook and Instagram content shared by adult users in the U.K. over the coming months. The social media giant had paused similar plans three months ago after facing regulatory pressure in the U.K. Meta said Friday it “incorporated feedback” from regulators after working with the Information Commissioner’s Office. “This clarity and certainty will help us bring AI at Meta products to the U.K. much sooner,” the company said in a blog post. Meta said that starting next week, adult Facebook and Instagram users in the U.K. will start seeing in-app notifications to explain what the company is doing, and how they can access an objection form to object to their data being used to train generative AI models. If users have already opted out, Meta will not contact them again. Meta will use things like photos, captions, and comments. It added it will not use people’s private messages to train its AI or information from accounts of users under the age of 18.