Meta Platforms Tracks Employee Data for AI

Meta Platforms is implementing new tracking software, called Model Capability Initiative (MCI), on its US-based employees' computers. This software will capture mouse movements, clicks, keystrokes, and occasional screen snapshots to train Meta Platforms' artificial intelligence models. The goal is to build AI agents that can perform work tasks autonomously, as part of the company's 'AI for Work' efforts, rebranded as Agent Transformation Accelerator (ATA). While Meta Platforms states the data will not be used for performance assessments and safeguards are in place for sensitive content, experts like Ifeoma Ajunwa from Yale University and Valerio De Stefano from New York University raise concerns about employee surveillance and potential violations of European laws like the General Data Protection Regulation. This move is part of a broader trend in the tech sector, with Meta Platforms also planning significant layoffs, similar to Amazon (company) and Block, Inc., as companies increasingly integrate AI into their workflows.