Meta will use employee-tracking software to help train AI agents: Report

Meta is set to start monitoring the mouse movements, clicks, and keystrokes of its employees in the United States as part of a new initiative aimed at generating high-quality training data for its artificial intelligence agents, according to a report from Reuters. Internal memos from the Meta Superintelligence Labs team reveal details about the Model Capability Initiative, which will employ tracking software on designated work-related applications and websites. This innovative tracking will also involve taking periodic screenshots to provide contextual information for the AI training process. The memo emphasizes the role of Meta’s workforce in enhancing the capabilities of the models: "This is where all Meta employees can help our models get better simply by doing their daily work." Meta spokesperson Andy Stone explained to Reuters that the training data gathered will be instrumental in improving the AI's performance in specific tasks, particularly those it finds challenging, such as mouse movements, button clicks, and navigating dropdown menus. Stone highlighted the necessity of real-world examples, stating, "If we’re building agents to help people complete everyday tasks using computers, our models need real examples of how we actually use them." Importantly, he clarified that the data collected will not be used for employee evaluations. While this tracking will be implemented for U.S. employees, extending similar monitoring to European staff could violate various national laws that restrict how employers can supervise their employees' activities. Meta has previously encountered potential legal issues in the EU regarding its policy that requires users to opt-out of having their social media content utilized for AI training, instead of requiring an affirmative opt-in.