Meta Delays the Launch of Meta AI in Europe

Meta announced today that it will delay the launch of its Meta AI features in Europe (via Reuters). The news come after the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) requested the company to pause its plans to train its large language models using public content shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram in the region.

Back in April, Meta started rolling out its new Meta AI assistant to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger users in English in more than a dozen countries. To bring its generative AI technology to users in Europe, however, Meta wants to train it using content that European users have chosen to make public on Meta’s products and services. “Put simply, without including local information we’d only be able to offer people a second-rate experience,” Meta said today.

Meta explained earlier this week that it’s been having discussions with the DPC on how to train its AI models in a way that complies with EU privacy laws. Starting May 22, Meta has started sending notifications to users of its apps in Europe to warn them about the upcoming launch of Meta AI. These notifications include a link to an objection form allowing EU users to deny Meta the right to use their personal data for AI training.

However, this was apparently not enough for the Data Protection Commission, which will continue to work with EU data protection authorities on the way Meta plans to train its AI models in Europe. “This is a step backwards for European innovation, competition in AI development and further delays bringing the benefits of AI to people in Europe,” Meta said today.

Meta still remains committed to launching Meta AI in Europe, and the company said that it will continue to work with the DPC and address other requests from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), its regulator in the UK. “We remain highly confident that our approach complies with European laws and regulations. AI training is not unique to our services, and we’re more transparent than many of our industry counterparts,” the company said today.