Meta Platforms announced that it will soon begin using public content shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram in the UK to train its artificial intelligence models.

This decision comes after a pause in AI training due to regulatory concerns in the region.

The company stated on Friday that it will utilize public posts, including photos, captions, and comments, to train its generative AI models. However, private messages and content from users under the age of 18 will not be included in this process.

This update follows Meta's decision in mid-June to delay launching its AI models in Europe after Ireland’s privacy regulator asked the company to postpone its plan to use social media data. The pause also allowed Meta to address concerns raised by the UK's Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

"Since pausing our AI model training in the UK to address regulatory feedback, we've had positive engagement with the ICO," Meta said. "This clarity will enable us to bring AI features to Meta products in the UK much sooner." Photo by mikemacmarketing, Wikimedia commons.