Google Now Uses Your Uploaded Media to Train Its AI Models
A quiet update to Google's privacy settings now allows the company to store and use media you upload across its Search services to train its AI models. This includes images, files, and audio and video recordings submitted through Google Search, Maps, Shopping, Flights, Hotels, Translate, and News. Google essentially opts all users into this expanded data collection, framing it as giving people more control over saved history and personalized recommendations.
The scope of this data gathering extends well beyond text searches. Images captured through Google Lens, voice recordings from the Search Live feature, and audio from Google Translate practice sessions may all be saved for AI development. Google confirms this directly, stating in a customer email that saved media is used to develop and improve its services and technologies, including AI models and safety measures. The shift reflects a broader industry trend where companies increasingly rely on user-generated data rather than solely scraping the web.
Fortunately, users can opt out of this data collection through two new privacy settings: Search Services History and Personalized Recommendations. These settings allow you to configure how your activity is used for personalization and how long your web and app data is saved. Given that these changes took effect automatically, anyone concerned about their media being used for AI training should review and adjust these settings as soon as possible.