Meta will use your private AI chats to serve ads
What's the story
Meta has announced plans to use conversations with its AI chatbot for ad targeting. The company says the data will be used to "personalize the content and ads" users see on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. The feature will go live on December 16, with notifications about the change starting from October 7.
Data utilization
How the new ad targeting method works
Meta's privacy policy manager, Christy Harris, explained that users' interactions with the AI chatbot will be another input for personalizing feeds and ads. For instance, if a user talks about hiking with the AI chatbot, they might see recommendations for hiking groups or ads for hiking boots later on. This is a shift from traditional ad targeting methods that usually don't include one-on-one conversations.
User consent
Data collection can't be turned off by users
The new feature will be rolled out in most regions, but not in the UK, EU, and South Korea. Meta has said there will be no way for users to opt out of this data collection process. However, it has clarified that the chatbots won't scrape data related to sensitive topics like religious views, sexual orientation or political beliefs.
User base
Monetizing AI tools is becoming a trend
Despite the controversial nature of this new feature, Meta's generative AI tools already boast a whopping 1 billion monthly active users across its family of apps. The move comes as other tech giants like Google and Amazon are also monetizing their AI tools, usually through cloud-based services. However, Meta's approach to using AI chat interactions for ad targeting is unique in its scale and scope.