AI

Zoom denies training AI on calls without consent

In a blog post, the firm stressed that audio, video and chats were not used for AI without consent.

In Summary

•The video-calling app acted after users noticed changes to the firm's terms of service in March which they worried enabled AI training

•AI applications are computer programmes or tools that can perform specific, intelligent tasks that would usually be performed by humans

Zoom has updated its terms of service after a backlash over fears that it trained its artificial intelligence (AI) models on customer calls.

In a blog post, the firm stressed that audio, video and chats were not used for AI without consent.

The video-calling app acted after users noticed changes to the firm's terms of service in March which they worried enabled AI training.

The firm said it made the changes to be more transparent.

Zoom launched new AI-powered features in June, one of which lets clients summarise meetings without having to record an entire session. The features were offered as a free trial.

But some experts warned the original wording of the terms of service could have allowed Zoom to access more user data than needed, including from customer calls.

Talking to the BBC, before the terms of service were updated, data protection specialist Robert Bateman said: "The terms appeared to give the service provider a lot of freedom to use data generated by its users for many different purposes."

He said that while there was a question mark over the risks that could arise, "alarm bells should ring when you encounter broad contractual provisions like these".

Late on Monday Zoom updated it's terms to include the line "Zoom will not use audio, video or chat customer content to train our artificial intelligence models without your consent".

AI applications are computer programmes or tools that can perform specific, intelligent tasks that would usually be performed by humans. They are trained using vast amounts of data and algorithms to "learn" and replicate patterns of human-like behaviour.


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