You're helping Google train its AI without even knowing it, and now it's using your personal photos too
We all know, or at least suspect, that our private data is used to train AI models. Google is one of the culprits and the company is getting greedier, the latest report shows.
Google can now use anything you upload in search to train its AI models. | Image by Google
We all know, or at least suspect, that our private data is used to train AI models. Google is one of the culprits, and according to a report by TechCrunch, the company has quietly introduced a change to how it collects our data to train its AI platforms.
Google now uses your personal media uploads in searches to train AI
Be careful what you upload. | Image by Google
Google can now use all the media you upload in various search boxes to train its AI models, and this includes "images, files, and audio and video recordings." We're talking all uploaded data, no matter if it's personal or sensitive.
If you upload a photo of your kid (why would you?) in Google Lens, Google can use it to train AI. The same goes for all audio searches, conversations with Gemini, and even Google Translate content.
Should Google train its AI models on our data?
Your Google Photos are safe… for now
Personal photos in Google Photos are safe, at least for now. | Image by PhoneArena
The new rule applies to search-related products, and your personal photos in Google Photos are safe. At least for now.
Another worrying fact is that everyone is opted in by default. Apparently, these AI models still need a huge amount of data to train upon.
There's a way around this, thankfully. You can opt out and protect your search uploads from the greedy virtual hands of AI.
How to opt out
You need to change some settings, and it's not as straightforward as we would've wanted. The first step is heading to the dedicated Search Services History page. Once there, uncheck the "Save Media" box.
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Next, go to the Search Services Personalization page and see if it's saving anything under "search history." If it's not, you're fine. If it shows "saving," you should go back and turn off Web and App Activity.
Google is getting greedy
We're training the AI models without even knowing it. | Image by PhoneArena
Frankly, I'm amazed that this hasn't escalated into a major scandal or a class action lawsuit yet. Of course, uploading anything personal, even for search purposes, comes with risks, but Google deciding to use this data and automatically opting everyone in is crossing the line.
Users upload all kinds of data in those search fields, sometimes even tied to medical conditions and other sensitive topics. Google should've at least asked people to actively opt in and not make the opt-out process as tedious as it is. But these are the times we live in.
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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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