Facebook test uses Meta AI to process photos you've yet to upload

Facebook has been displaying a pop-up message to some users, asking for permission to create collages, recaps, and AI restylings using photos from their camera roll. The message appears when users upload a new Story on the app, but not all users have seen it. According to the notification, Meta will select media from users' camera rolls and upload it to the company's cloud to generate ideas for users. The media will be selected based on information such as time, location, and themes, and will be uploaded on an ongoing basis. The message assures users that the media will not be used for ad targeting, but its wording has raised concerns about Meta using the photos to train its AI technology. Meta has denied using the photos to train its AI models, stating that it is only testing suggestions for ready-to-share and curated content. The company's communications manager, Maria Cubeta, said that the suggestions are opt-in only and can be turned off at any time. The test feature has been ongoing for some time and has a limited reach, with some users reporting seeing it earlier this year. Facebook has a Help page with instructions on how to allow or disallow the feature, and users who have previously allowed it can switch it off in their Settings. Users who want to opt out of the feature can go to the "Camera roll sharing suggestions" section under Preferences in their Settings and turn it off.