Grok AI and User Data Concerns

Grok, a conversational AI developed by Elon Musk-owned X (formerly Twitter), has quietly defaulted user data into its AI training pool for Grok. This move has caught the attention of the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), sparking significant privacy concerns, particularly in Europe.

DPC’s Response

The DPC, X’s European privacy watchdog, expressed surprise at this move. "The DPC has been engaging with X on this matter for a number of months, with our latest interaction occurring as recently as yesterday," DPC deputy commissioner Graham Doyle told TechCrunch. "Therefore, we are surprised by today’s developments. We have followed up with X today and are awaiting a response. We expect further engagement early next week."

GDPR Compliance Issues

Under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), companies need a valid legal basis for processing people’s data. It’s unclear if X has this legal basis, as a similar plan by Meta was paused in Europe following GDPR complaints. The DPC leads on oversight of X’s compliance with GDPR, which allows for penalties of up to 4% of global annual turnover for confirmed breaches.

Ambiguous Policy Wording

The default-enabled Grok data-sharing setting on X reads:

"Allow your posts as well as your interactions, inputs, and results with Grok to be used for training and fine-tuning."

Smaller print adds:

"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,"

with a specification that such data "may be shared with our service provider xAI for these purposes."

The wording is ambiguous, making it unclear whether all user data or only interactions with Grok are being used for training.

How to Disable Data Sharing for Grok AI

If you’re concerned about your data being used to train Grok, you can disable this setting. Note that this can only be done via the desktop version of X.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Open the Settings page: on X on your desktop.
2. Select the ‘Privacy and safety’ button.
3. Grok: select the Grok option.
4. Uncheck the box: unselect the default-enabled data-sharing setting for Grok.

After disabling the setting, you can delete your conversation history with the AI by clicking on the "Delete conversation history" button.

Legal Basis and Regulatory Scrutiny

TechCrunch contacted X to ask about the legal basis for processing European data to train Grok. At the time of writing, the company’s press email had only delivered an automated response: "Busy now, please check back later."

Earlier this week, Elon Musk announced that xAI had started training its Grok large language model using ‘the most powerful AI training cluster in the world,’ claiming it would become ‘the world’s most powerful AI by every metric by December [2024].’ This indicates that Musk and X intend to use more than just a powerful training cluster but also user data for training Grok.

Conclusion

The DPC expects further developments on the Grok AI data-sharing issue next week. With growing concerns and regulatory scrutiny, X will need to address the ambiguities and legal implications of its data-sharing practices.

Implications of Data-Sharing Practices

• Lack of transparency: The ambiguous policy wording has led to confusion among users about what data is being used for training.
• GDPR compliance issues: The lack of a valid legal basis for processing people’s data raises concerns about GDPR compliance.
• Regulatory scrutiny: The DPC’s response highlights the growing regulatory scrutiny of X’s data-sharing practices.

Future Developments

The DPC expects further engagement with X early next week. In light of growing concerns and regulatory scrutiny, X will need to address the ambiguities and legal implications of its data-sharing practices.

In conclusion, the Grok AI data-sharing issue raises significant privacy concerns and highlights the importance of transparency and compliance in data processing practices. As the DPC continues to engage with X on this matter, it is essential for users to be aware of their rights and options when it comes to controlling their personal data.

Resources

• Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC): www.dataprotection.ie
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection_en
• X (formerly Twitter): about.twitter.com

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