Massive E-Learning Platform Udemy Gave Teachers a Gen AI 'Opt-Out Window'. It's Already Over. (404media.co)
(Monday September 30, 2024 @05:20PM (msmash)
from the how-about-that dept.)
- Reference: 0175162181
- News link: https://slashdot.org/story/24/09/30/198215/massive-e-learning-platform-udemy-gave-teachers-a-gen-ai-opt-out-window-its-already-over
- Source link: https://www.404media.co/massive-e-learning-platform-udemy-gave-teachers-a-gen-ai-opt-out-window-its-already-over/
An anonymous reader shares a report:
> Udemy, an e-learning platform with more than 250,000 online classes, recently announced that it would train generative AI on the classes that its users contribute to the site. Not only were class teachers automatically opted in to having their classes used as training, Udemy said teachers would have only a three-week "window" to opt-out of training. That [1]window has now passed . "We want to officially announce that the opt-out period for our Generative AI Program (GenAI Program) begins today, August 21st, and goes through September 12th. The choice to participate in the GenAI program is yours. If you want to participate, no action is needed!," Udemy said in a post on its community forums August 21. In an "Instructor Generative AI Policy" document, it says it plans to offer "Annual Periods designated by us" during which instructors can opt-out of having their classes trained on, and said that when people opt-out of training, it will remove the instructors' classes from its dataset "by the end of the calendar year." It has also told instructors that "By opting out, you'll lose access to all AI features and benefits, which may affect your course visibility and potential earnings." With the first opt-out window having passed, instructors are now seeing a grayed-out option in their settings if they didn't know about the window or would like to opt-out now.
[1] https://www.404media.co/massive-e-learning-platform-udemy-gave-teachers-a-gen-ai-opt-out-window-its-already-over/
> Udemy, an e-learning platform with more than 250,000 online classes, recently announced that it would train generative AI on the classes that its users contribute to the site. Not only were class teachers automatically opted in to having their classes used as training, Udemy said teachers would have only a three-week "window" to opt-out of training. That [1]window has now passed . "We want to officially announce that the opt-out period for our Generative AI Program (GenAI Program) begins today, August 21st, and goes through September 12th. The choice to participate in the GenAI program is yours. If you want to participate, no action is needed!," Udemy said in a post on its community forums August 21. In an "Instructor Generative AI Policy" document, it says it plans to offer "Annual Periods designated by us" during which instructors can opt-out of having their classes trained on, and said that when people opt-out of training, it will remove the instructors' classes from its dataset "by the end of the calendar year." It has also told instructors that "By opting out, you'll lose access to all AI features and benefits, which may affect your course visibility and potential earnings." With the first opt-out window having passed, instructors are now seeing a grayed-out option in their settings if they didn't know about the window or would like to opt-out now.
[1] https://www.404media.co/massive-e-learning-platform-udemy-gave-teachers-a-gen-ai-opt-out-window-its-already-over/
Mehh (Score:3)
by paul_engr ( 6280294 )
Udemy sucks ass anyways
Re: Mehh (Score:2)
by TJHook3r ( 4699685 )
All those low effort video courses that instructors slapped together to give a high level view on the software of the moment. Seriously, it pisses me off that so many of their courses are so poor. Some are good to be fair, but you'd never really know since most courses seem to get an average of around 4.3 regardless of quality
and the students? (Score:2)
by idontusenumbers ( 1367883 )
Do the students get a say?
Re: (Score:3)
by Savage-Rabbit ( 308260 )
> Do the students get a say?
Yes, they can vote with their wallets.
Tech Hostage Taking (Score:2)
by RitchCraft ( 6454710 )
It seems that taking your customers hostage is the normal thing to do in tech now.
Re: (Score:2)
by gweihir ( 88907 )
Indeed. Because, unfortunately, it seems to work.
Just imagine if... (Score:2)
by VeryFluffyBunny ( 5037285 )
...corporations got their way & took over public education. Could you imagine the levels of fuckery they'd be balls-deep into?
Imagine (Score:3)
Imagine a job posting that said: this used to be a career, but we'll let you work here while we train a computer to replace you.
Just start looking somewhere else right away.
Re: (Score:3)
The company doesn't have to tell you. They own the copyright to the work of their employees by default.
Re: Imagine (Score:2)
They usually own a perpetual license to the content. Stops issues of copyright claims against them by a third party, by forwarding the blame on to the user.
Re: (Score:1, Insightful)
LOL Teachers are both unnecessary and overpaid? I guess you just want the whole country to be as stupid as you are.
Re:I don't have to use much imagination at all. (Score:5, Informative)
> As far as public school teachers go. I'm surprised they weren't replaced by VHS tapes, Scantron tests, and low-paid test proctors in the 1980's. It's long past time for public school teachers to be extinct other than the ones making educational materials. Their pensions and gold plated benefits can also go extinct.
Having grown up as a child of two teachers, my parents didn't get paid shit, their pensions are pitiful, and my mom got shafted by the first school she worked for because they refused to report her work as a full-time teaching position even though it was... So I don't know where teachers are getting "gold plated benefits", but in the US (at least) I haven't seen any evidence of it. Hell, when I lived in California the teachers would get pink slips at the end of the school year and then would be "invited back" in August if they had enough money to pay for them to come back for the fall.
I also know that a lot of kids need "in person" instruction and support. If the pandemic demonstrated anything, it showed that e-learning doesn't work for every kid. Schools need a lot more money and a lot more teachers/staff to support kids at every level of ability/need.
Re: (Score:3)
> Having grown up as a child of two teachers, my parents didn't get paid shit, their pensions are pitiful
My dad was the teacher in the family. I grew up just under the poverty line. Later on he switched over to be a part time teacher and a part time administrator, so his pension got better. He hated the administration work, but didn't want to retire being dependent on social security to supplement his sorry pension.
Re: (Score:2)
Your dad probably got an English degree then panicked when he got finished partying his way through college and got a teaching certificate. That's not anyone's fault but his.
Re: (Score:2)
My parents were both high school teachers in California, lived reasonably frugal lives... always purchased good used cars and kept them for a while, annual vacations though nothing too luxurious, and owned their home. They never carried debt, and put away for retirement during the "roaring 80s" and now have more money than their habits can spend before they die. I grew up wanting for nothing, although I admit that I didn't have all the toys like some of my neighbors...
Re: (Score:2)
> my parents didn't get paid shit
I got my ass kicked by teachers probably just like your parents all through elementary and junior high and I have the corporal punishment notifications to prove it (still have 30 or so in my "School Dayz" memorabilia book). They'd simply take us into the hallway and smack us around with ping pong paddles, cricket bats, shaved down baseball bats, or whatever else sort of resembled a "paddle", often leaving huge bruises and wheals. If you were really annoying, they'd let the vice principle do it and then I'd
Re: (Score:2)
We are social apes. Expecting children to learn effectively while isolated from social interactions is something we only tried because of COVID.
You can learn that way on your own time as an internally motivated adult, but it is a rare child who has that capability. Not only that, it's not just the stuff in textbooks kids are learning - they are getting socialized at the same time.
Re:Imagine (Score:4, Interesting)
Automation was only fine when factory workers were affected? What kind of worker is OK to be replaced, and what isn't? Let me guess, the job YOU have? Nobody has a "right" to a job. That's silly, it means if you cook your own food you're taking the job of chef away. If you make your own bed, you're taking away the job of a maid.
Automation is better for civilization, but only if we couple it with Universal Basic Income or else it will result in poverty for some (or many).
Re: (Score:2)
Automation is a tale as old as time, at points in history even more disruptive than it is now. It has always been positive for the vast majority of society. We don't suddenly need UBI. People just need to move on with their life and get new jobs.
Re: (Score:2)
You're ignoring the high death rate that normally accompanies the transition.
Re: Imagine (Score:2)
Get new jobs, I'll be fascinated to see what millions of IT workers will do next
Re: (Score:1)
Imagine being a computer scientist getting mad that someone automated your job with a computer.
Re: (Score:2)
If you're a computer scientist, and you're worried about some neural network stealing your job, then you're not a very good computer scientist.