Google uses your search data to train AI: here’s how to stop it

Consumers who use generative AI services like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and others should expect that most AI software providers can use AI chat data to train future systems, although most providers will offer ways to opt out. Google, which already tracks users online for advertising purposes, is one of the AI ​​service providers that offers opt-out controls, so Gemini users can prevent Google from training future AI models on their chats with Gemini. However, Google also wants to use personal data from other products in which users can interact with Gemini-based AI to train future models, including media such as photos and videos shared for help. Google is rolling out new settings that govern the collection of data from Google Search, Google Lens, Google Maps, Google Translate, Google News, as well as searches related to shopping, flights and hotels. The good news is that users are still in control of their data, as Google allows users to opt out of having their data used to train future Gemini AI models.

Google has a new support document explaining that the company is rolling out new settings for Google search services that may not be immediately visible to all users. The process will take a few months and will cover the Google apps and services mentioned above. Until the new settings are available, Google search data controls can be managed through the My Current Activity page of a user’s Google account.

Once the update rolls out, users will see a new Search Services History in their account, which will contain controls that users can turn off to prevent Google from using Gemini AI interactions in Google Search and the other products mentioned above to train its AI models.

Google explains in the new support document that the new Search Services History menu will contain data from many online activities you perform while signed in to your Google account. Search Services history will include “your searches, information from sites you visit with Search Services, and generative AI responses,” according to the company. Additionally, information such as your general locations and uploaded media (photos, videos, audio and files) will be included. Interactions with Google Lens, Search Live and Google Translate (including foreign language practice) will also be part of the data that Google can use for training AI models.

Google also notes in the same document that the data from your recorded history “allows you to adapt your experience on search services and on Google”. Importantly, this history can also be used for personalized recommendations and advertisements, in addition to training new models.

Google says the data will be disconnected from your Google account before being reviewed by humans and passed to the AI ​​models during training, assuming you want to share data for training AI models. The company also says it has designed filters that remove “a wide range of identifying or sensitive personal information” from the data batches used by Google. Finally, Google says it will ask users for permission before sharing media content for human review. However, if your Google account is managed by an educational institution, search service history data will not be used by default for training the AI ​​model.

Google also notes that users can turn off search history to prevent their data from the Google products listed above from training new AI models. To do this, users will have to wait for the new Search Services History menu to appear in their Google accounts. TechPP reports that some users have started seeing the menu, providing screenshots. During limited checks, we did not see the menu in some of our Google accounts.

If your current settings for web and app activity and search personalization are “on”, the new search service history will also be enabled. If they are disabled, they will be disabled in the search service history, although you should always make sure that this is the case. Google also says that if only web activity and apps were enabled, search service history will be enabled, while search personalization will remain disabled.

When the Search History menu is deployed for your Google account, you can go to the Search History settings page to customize it. Sign in to your Google account, then visit the new menu to turn off search history so Google can’t use your data to train AI. If you choose to leave it enabled, you can decide whether you want to allow your media to be used for AI training. You can disable just the media collection by unchecking the Save media under Search Services History box. Finally, you can turn off the Personalized Recommendations setting in your Google account, under Data & Privacy > Personalization Settings. Disabling the feature means that Google will not personalize search results or AI discussions based on search service history data.