Twitch streamers have hit out at the streaming platform after it was revealed that streams, clips, and other videos would be used to train generative AI.
Over the last year, artificial intelligence has crept into everyday life. Some people use it to complete menial tasks at their job, while others even have AI in their fridge to tell them when they’re running low on stuff.
However, plenty of people have also rallied against using it, especially as AI has threatened creative industries, including music and content creation.
On August 12, Twitch came under fire after it was revealed that the platform has seemingly allowed Amazon’s artificial intelligence models to use content from streamers to train. Amazon owns Twitch, so the link for the platform is there, but streamers had been taken aback by their content being used.
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“We’ve added a setting that lets you opt out of having your channel content used to train generative AI content models across Amazon,” Twitch Support posted on August 12, but that didn’t quell the fire all that much.
“ON by DEFAULT. I find it funny how right underneath it says, “Twitch respects your privacy,” streamer JayViper said, while Pirate Software offered a guide on how to turn it off.
“Can I ask why this s**t is on by default and you’re making people actively opt out rather than vice versa, when many community members have constantly vocalized against this development,” added VTuber Shoto. “Make it opt out by default,” another VTuber said.
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Twitch’s Mike Minton and Mary Kish addressed the situation in a stream too, with Minton admitting that: “If it’s opt-in, nobody would opt-in. That’s the honest answer.”
Kish, Twitch’s head of community, added: “We don’t expect you to be happy or excited about this. I don’t expect anyone to react to this favourably.” She also noted that opting out who prevent content being used in “future” training for the AI.
Minton, Twitch’s head of product, also said he “didn’t know” if VODs had already been used by Amazon to train AI.
“I don’t know what Amazon has done in terms of model training, and what they have used and not used,” he added.