Meta Tracks Employee Computer Use for AI Training

Meta Platforms Inc. is rolling out new tracking software on computers used by its U.S.-based employees to capture mouse movements, clicks, keystrokes, and occasional screen snapshots, internal memos indicate. The initiative, known as the Model Capability Initiative, targets work-related applications and websites to gather data for training artificial intelligence models aimed at developing autonomous AI agents capable of performing office tasks.

The program seeks to address limitations in Meta's current AI systems, which struggle to mimic human computer interactions such as navigating dropdown menus or using keyboard shortcuts. An internal memo from a staff AI research scientist in the company's Meta SuperIntelligence Labs team stated that employees can contribute to model improvements simply by conducting their daily work. Meta spokesperson Andy Stone confirmed the data will serve solely as input for AI training and not for performance evaluations. He noted safeguards protect sensitive content, though specifics on exclusions were not provided. Stone explained, "If we're building agents to help people complete everyday tasks using computers, our models need real examples of how...