Meta’s plans to launch its AI assistant in Europe have been put on hold due to regulatory issues raised by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC). The DPC requested Meta to delay the training of its large language model (LLM) that involves public content shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram.
As the lead privacy regulator for Meta in the EU, the Irish DPC made this request on behalf of the European Data Protection Authorities (DPAs). Meta expressed disappointment over this delay, stating that it believes it complies with European regulations and sees this as a setback for AI competition and innovation in the EU.
The lack of access to local information means that users in Europe would not receive the optimal experience with Meta’s AI assistant. Meta emphasized that it is unable to launch its AI in Europe at this time due to the regulatory pause.
This situation has been unfolding over the course of several months, with Meta informing European DPAs about its activities since March. However, the issue escalated when Meta began notifying users about its AI training activities through in-app notifications and emails in late May.
European privacy non-profit NOYB, along with other organizations and certain DPAs, raised concerns that led to the Irish DPC’s request for Meta to halt its activities. Despite this setback, Meta remains committed to working with regulators and complying with GDPR laws related to AI training.
Meta pointed out that other tech companies like Google and OpenAI also use AI for user data training and that it aims to adhere to the legal basis of “Legitimate Interest” under GDPR. This provision allows for flexibility in data processing activities, a common practice in the AI industry.
Overall, Meta’s decision to delay the launch of its AI assistant in Europe underscores the challenges that tech companies face in navigating regulatory requirements and privacy concerns in the region. The company’s commitment to compliance and cooperation with regulators will be crucial as it works towards resolving these issues and eventually bringing its AI assistant to users in Europe.