X, the social network formerly known as Twitter has recently turned on a setting allowing it to train its Grok AI model on user tweets, opting in users by default and without notifying them about the change.
When the setting is enabled (as it is by default) the social network is allowed to use all X posts, replies, inputs, and results to train and fine-tune X owner Elon Musk’s Grok AI model.
To continuously improve your experience, we may utilize your X posts as well as your user interactions, inputs and results with Grok for training and fine-tuning purposes. This also means that your interactions, inputs, and results may also be shared with our service provider xAI for these purposes. Learn more
Users can turn off the setting, but they’ll have to do it on the website, as the setting is not available in the X apps. The option is said to be on the way for mobile devices.
To turn off the setting, do the following:
- Open up X in a web browser on a Mac or PC and log in.
- Click on “More.”
- Click on “Settings and privacy.”
- Click on “Privacy and safety.”
- Click on “Grok.”
- Uncheck the checkbox that says “Allow your posts, as well as your interactions, inputs, and results with Grok to be used for training and fine-tuning.”
All X users have the ability to control whether their public posts can be used to train Grok, the AI search assistant. This option is in addition to your existing controls over whether your interactions, inputs, and results related to Grok can be utilized. This setting is…
— Safety (@Safety) July 26, 2024
Many X users are not happy with being opted in to the data collection. The social site has changed the wording about Grok in its Help Center. While the wording previously said that “user interactions, inputs, and results” would be used to train Grok, the wording now includes users’ posts.
From the X Help Center:
To continuously improve your experience, we may utilize your X posts as well as your user interactions, inputs and results with Grok for training and fine-tuning purposes. This also means that when you interact with Grok, your interactions, inputs and results may be used to train and enhance the system’s performance. This allows us to:
- Enhance Grok’s understanding of human language and communication.
- Improve Grok’s ability to provide accurate, relevant, and engaging responses.
- Develop Grok’s sense of humor and wit to make interactions more enjoyable.
- Ensure Grok remains politically unbiased and provides balanced answers.
