Meta tried to turn employee activity into AI data. The plan backfired

Meta has suspended an employee data collection programme for AI training after workers protested and an internal leak exposed collected information across the company in recent months

Meta has suspended an employee monitoring programme that collected computer activity for AI training after an internal data leak and growing resistance from employees. Business Insider reported that Meta's Model Capability Initiative (MCI) collected data such as employees' keystrokes and mouse movements to help train AI models to understand how people use computers and carry out routine tasks, including using dropdown menus and keyboard shortcuts.

 

Meta launched the programme within its AI unit earlier this year and announced it to employees in April. "While AI models excel at research and technical skills like coding, they still lack some of the basic ways that humans use computers like choosing from dropdowns and keyboard shortcuts," an internal announcement read.

 

 

Workers were initially not given an option to opt out, triggering a backlash. More than 1,800 employees later signed a petition calling for the programme to be scrapped. Employees raised concerns that the tracking could capture sensitive information, including passwords, immigration documents and credit card details. Some also feared that the data could be used to develop AI systems capable of replacing human workers.

 

In June, Meta allowed employees to temporarily pause the tracking for up to 30 minutes when handling sensitive tasks. Employees opposing the programme said the measure did not go far enough. "We demand, and will continue to demand, that Mark and his leadership team scrap MCI entirely, immediately, forever," they wrote, referring to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

 

The programme was subsequently halted after a Meta engineer discovered that data collected through MCI could be accessed across the company, including private conversations.

 

Meta said the programme had been suspended, rather than permanently cancelled, and indicated that participation would be optional if MCI were brought back.

 

Meta has not explained how it used the data or whether it ultimately used it to train AI models. Business Insider reported that the programme remained suspended two months after it was halted.