X Chooses Caution in AI Data Usage Amid EU Scrutiny

Recent developments have seen the social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, commit to not utilizing personal data from European Union users for AI training purposes at this time. This was conveyed in an Irish court where the Data Protection Commission of Ireland expressed its concerns regarding data collection without users' prior consent options.

The Irish Data Protection Commission, which oversees many leading US internet companies operating in the EU from Ireland, requested a legal order to limit or halt X's processing of user data for the enhancement and development of its AI technologies. According to the platform, it provides users with the capability to determine whether their public posts can be accessed by its AI chatbot, Grok, with users needing to opt-out via their privacy settings.

However, Judge Leonie Reynolds highlighted that X started processing the data of EU users on May 7, while the option to opt out only became available to users on July 16, and this functionality was not rolled out to all users right away. A representative from the platform stated that any user data collected in the timeframe from May 7 to August 1 would remain untouched until the court rules on the Data Protection Commission’s order.

The legal team for X is expected to submit their opposition to the suspension order by September 4, as conveyed in court proceedings. In a recent update on the platform, the X Global Government Affairs account claimed that the regulator's request was excessive, unjustified, and unfairly targeted X.

Concerns from the regulator regarding data use have escalated following Meta Platforms' decision to postpone the launch of its own AI models in Europe after receiving guidance from the Irish Data Protection Commission. Similarly, Alphabet's Google had to adjust its plans for its Gemini AI chatbot earlier this year after dialogue with the same regulatory body.

Overall, this situation reflects growing scrutiny over how tech companies manage user data, particularly in the context of AI development.