Users of Facebook and Instagram have until May 26th to object to Meta using their images to train artificial intelligence (AI). The company plans to begin collecting data on May 27th, utilizing publicly available past and future posts for AI training purposes.

Meta aims to enhance its AI’s image understanding and generation capabilities by analyzing images and their associated captions. This initiative aligns with Meta’s development of AI tools similar to ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, which generate images based on user prompts and require extensive knowledge of visual data.

Several European consumer councils and supervisory authorities have voiced concerns about Meta’s plans. The Norwegian Consumer Council, along with other European counterparts, has formally requested that Meta halt the AI training program. The Danish Consumer Council Tænk has also criticized the initiative and is advising users to actively object.

This is not the first time Meta has attempted such a program. A similar effort last year was met with criticism and subsequently paused by the Irish Data Protection Commission. Despite the previous setback, Meta has resumed its plans to utilize user data for AI training.