SUMMARY
- Zoom's latest terms of service update signals a major step towards leveraging customer data to train AI models.
- Customers can't opt-out of certain data collection, but audio and video remain untouched without explicit consent.
- Amid a sea of legal challenges in the AI industry, Zoom's focus on customer control could set a new standard.
Zoom is eager to enhance its artificial intelligence (AI), and the new terms of service reveal how. On the surface, the latest update focuses on topics like software licensing and compliance, but dig a little deeper and you'll find a significant revelation. As of July 27, Zoom has declared its right to use some customer data to train and fine-tune its AI or machine learning models.
The "service-generated data" Zoom is now authorized to utilize encompasses a wide range of customer information. This includes product usage, telemetry, and diagnostic data, without an option for customers to opt-out. Though using such data isn't a novelty in the tech world, this move marks a deliberate stride towards fulfilling Zoom's AI aspirations.
The decision to use personal data for AI training comes amid a heated public conversation. Everyone's talking about the extent to which AI should leverage individuals' information, whether it's lumped together or claimed to be anonymized. From chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard to image tools like Midjourney, the AI community has been abuzz with legal challenges from creators recognizing their work in AI products.
Zoom's terms are clear: customers are agreeing to a broad range of data usage for purposes including machine learning and artificial intelligence. But rest easy; Zoom has stated that they won't use audio, video, or chat content for training models without explicit customer consent. Even new AI features introduced by Zoom require a user's signed consent to enable AI training on their specific content.
Zoom's message is unambiguous: Customers have control over whether to enable generative AI features and to share content with Zoom for enhancement purposes. They emphasize that any customer content used is solely for improving the accuracy and efficiency of their AI services. It's a fine balance, navigating the future of AI while keeping users in the driver's seat.
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