LinkedIn Is Training AI on User Data Before Updating Its Terms of Service (404media.co)

(Wednesday September 18, 2024 @05:21PM (msmash) from the PSA dept.)

An anonymous reader shares a report:

> LinkedIn is using its users' data for [1]improving the social network's generative AI products , but has not yet updated its terms of service to reflect this data processing, according to posts from various LinkedIn users and a statement from the company to 404 Media. Instead, the company says it will update its terms "shortly." The move is unusual in that LinkedIn appears to have gone ahead with training AI on its users' data, even creating a new option in its settings, without updating its terms of service, which is traditionally one of the main documents that can explain how users' data is collected or used.

[1] https://www.404media.co/linkedin-is-training-ai-on-user-data-before-updating-its-terms-of-service/

There's trillions to be made here on AI automation (Score:1)

by rsilvergun ( 571051 )

Nobody is going to give a rat's ass about the law or anything about copyright or your rights as a citizen. The amounts of money involved here are just too staggering.

It's like how to use media keeps sane washing politicians, taking their insane ramblings and turning them into something that appears to be public policy. It's because there's 16 billion dollars in ad buys at stake and they need to keep those political races competitive so every time a politician says something batshit crazy they let the po

Re: (Score:2)

by ShanghaiBill ( 739463 )

> Nobody is going to give a rat's ass about the law

What law?

> or anything about copyright

There is no legal precedent that training an AI is "copying", especially in this case where LinkedIn is using data you gave it.

> or your rights as a citizen.

Which rights?

> The amounts of money involved here are just too staggering.

Really? How many LLMs are making money?

Re: There's trillions to be made here on AI automa (Score:2)

by too2late ( 958532 )

What law? All of them There is no legal precedent that training an AI is "copying", especially in this case where LinkedIn is using data you gave it. Those lawsuits are playing out right now so it remains to be seen Which rights? A right to not have your data (i.e., your property) used in a way you did not agree to. And yes, the TOS for most online services say that you own the data you put into it. Really? How many LLMs are making money? It took Twitter 12 years to be profitable. The fat cats play t

Just fish for resumes (Score:2)

by akw0088 ( 7073305 )

Even if they donâ(TM)t have linked in, there is piles and piles of resumes at every company or fake company that has ever posted a job online

Turn it off (Score:3)

by schwit1 ( 797399 )

Here's the link to disable it

[1]https://www.linkedin.com/mypre... [linkedin.com]

[1] https://www.linkedin.com/mypreferences/d/settings/data-for-ai-improvement

Re: (Score:3)

by Robert Goatse ( 984232 )

Thank you! I was clicking around the settings and couldn't find it earlier.

Who reads terms of service anyway? (Score:2)

by Flavianoep ( 1404029 )

Who has time to read all of them?

work tropes (Score:2)

by awwshit ( 6214476 )

LinkedIn consistently has a number work tropes over and over for years. Plus a significant amount of social-media-like activity. I question the value of Work Trope AI. "Be just like everyone else on LinkedIn!"

Have at (Score:2)

by Drethon ( 1445051 )

When I signed up for linkedin it was with the understanding that I was putting stuff online for the rest of the world to see it.

Outrageous! (Score:2)

by penguinoid ( 724646 )

They should have first updated the document no one reads!

But seriously, the only entity a EULA could sensibly be binding on is the one that wrote it. Users never had anything to do with it, didn't agree to it, didn't read it, had no input in writing it, it wasn't designed to be read by them, arguably is designed not to be read by users, grants nothing to the user. It's nothing more than the company's manifesto, promising how they will interact with the user and under what circumstances they will ban the use

World is changing (Score:2)