Meta faced controversy back in April when it announced plans to revive its AI using public data from Facebook and Instagram. Soon, the tech giant may stir up further discontent among its users.

According to a Reuters dispatch, Meta is planning a major update to its recommendation system. Starting from December 16th, interactions between users and its AI assistant will be used to tailor content and advertisements on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms…

Is This Meta’s Strategy to Monetize AI?

Having made significant investments this year, including poaching talent from competitors, and boasting over a billion monthly users for its Meta AI assistant, the company is now aiming to align its AI endeavors with its traditional business model: targeted advertising.

The concept is straightforward but has far-reaching implications, as the data you share with Meta AI could soon influence what you see in your news feed.

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An example shared by CNBC from Christy Harris, Meta’s privacy policy head, showcases how this might work: a user discussing upcoming vacation plans with Meta AI might find themselves seeing Reels about family destinations or advertisements for hotels.

Interactions, whether they are text-based, voice, or through Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, will be incorporated into this new advertising ecosystem.

No Opt-out for Users…

The update is set to roll out first in the United States and other countries starting in December, but Europe will have to wait for regulatory adjustments, particularly related to GDPR compliance. However, currently, there is no option for users to disable this feature, meaning the only way to avoid this data collection is to not interact with the Meta AI assistant.

However, Meta emphasizes its commitment to transparency. According to Christy Harris, many users had already anticipated that their conversations would feed into content personalization, which the company views as a “natural development” of its recommendation strategy…

A Trend Among Tech Giants

Meta is not alone in taking this step; OpenAI has already incorporated the ability to make online purchases and is even poised to enter the online advertising space.

These developments indicate a shared trend where leveraging massive investments in AI by utilizing interaction data becomes a favored approach.

With this move, Meta reaffirms its intent to use every interaction with its assistant to fuel its business model…