Meta plans to sell targeted ads based on data in your AI chats

Meta has announced that it will start using data collected from user interactions with its AI products to tailor targeted ads on its social media platforms.

By December 16, the company will update its privacy policy to reflect this change, notifying users accordingly. This new policy will be implemented globally, with the exception of users in South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, where privacy regulations prohibit such data collection.

Meta has traditionally relied on building detailed profiles of Facebook and Instagram users to offer hyper-targeted ads to advertisers. With the introduction of data from conversations with its AI chatbot, the company will now have another valuable source of information to enhance its ad targeting capabilities.

The company states that over a billion users engage with Meta AI monthly, often engaging in extensive conversations with the chatbot. This data will now be utilized to refine Meta’s ad products, improving their effectiveness.

In addition to Meta AI, Meta will also leverage data from other AI features such as the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, Vibes AI-video feed, and Imagine AI image generation product to enhance its ad targeting strategies.

Conversations with Meta AI will impact ads on Facebook and Instagram only when users are logged into the same account across the platforms.

Meta has stated that there is no way for users to opt out of this data collection process.

This move by Meta underscores the reality that free products from major tech companies often come with implications for user data privacy. Many tech firms are utilizing AI interactions to enhance their services, with Meta now incorporating this data into its advertising mechanisms.

While Meta assures that conversations on sensitive topics will not be used for ad targeting, the company is actively working on utilizing AI interactions to enhance its ad offerings.

Tech companies are exploring ways to monetize AI products, with Meta indicating potential plans for introducing ads into its AI products in the future.

Despite no immediate plans to include ads in its AI products, Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has hinted at potential developments in this direction down the line.