This will not make the already controversial AI training project more popular.
Meta has suspended the use of an AI training program that tracks the keystrokes and mouse movements of its own employees. The company suspended the Model Capability Initiative, not because of workers’ understandable dissatisfaction with being (almost) perpetually monitored or for potentially violating privacy laws, but because it caused an internal data breach. Business Insider reported that sensitive data collected through MCI, including private employee conversations, performance data and transcripts, was inadvertently made available to all Meta staff.
“We carefully designed this program with privacy safeguards in mind, and while we have no indication at this time that Meta employees have inappropriately accessed any data, we are suspending it while we investigate,” a spokesperson said. BI.
Despite this official line and previous statements that data collected by employees would be “tightly controlled,” it appears that Meta was not as aware of security as it claimed. This is the latest in a series of AI-related cybersecurity incidents for the company. Meta representatives issued a similar response in March after an agentic AI took a spontaneous action that also resulted in a security breach. And earlier this month, the company had to respond after hackers exploited its AI customer service chatbot to hack Instagram accounts.
