Meta adds pause option to employee AI data tracking program

Meta has scaled back a controversial program that tracked employee computer activity to train its artificial intelligence models following significant internal pushback. The company announced the changes in an internal memo on Tuesday, introducing new controls that allow employees to pause data collection for up to 30 minutes at a time and request exemptions from the initiative.

The program, which involved installing tracking software on U.S.-based employees' computers, was designed to capture mouse movements, clicks, and keystrokes. According to the company, this data was intended to help build AI agents capable of performing work tasks autonomously. The initiative was launched last month amid a broader restructuring at the social media giant.

In the memo, Vice President Stephane Kasriel of Meta's AI model-building Superintelligence Labs unit wrote that the software team had also introduced several optimizations to reduce the program's impact on computer battery life. This adjustment came after employees complained the software was consuming excessive data, causing spikes in their home internet usage. Kasriel stated that while the team remained confident in the privacy...