Google Hit With Lawsuit Alleging it Stole Data From Millions of Users to Train its AI Tools
Google, its parent company Alphabet, and its AI subsidiary DeepMind are facing a proposed class-action lawsuit in California, filed by Clarkson Law Firm, alleging that the tech giant scraped data from millions of users without consent and violated copyright laws to train its AI products.
The complaint claims that Google secretly stole data from Americans and used it to train AI products like its chatbot Bard, taking “virtually the entirety of our digital footprint,” including copyrighted works.
Google, Alphabet, and DeepMind have not responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit.
The lawsuit points to an update in Google’s privacy policy that states publicly accessible information may be used to train AI models and tools like Bard.
As AI tools gain attention for generating written work and images, concerns are rising over copyright issues and the use of personal data, including data from children, according to the lawsuit.
The suit seeks injunctive relief to freeze commercial access and development of Google’s generative AI tools, as well as damages and compensation for individuals whose data was allegedly misappropriated.
The law firm has eight plaintiffs lined up, including a minor.
The lawsuit highlights the contrast between Google’s indexing of online data for its search engine and the alleged scraping of data for AI training, which alters incentives for people to purchase copyrighted works.
While users may be accustomed to their data being collected for search results and targeted advertising, the lawsuit argues that AI training goes beyond expectations.
The law firm urges Google to create an opt-out option for data used in AI training while still allowing users to access the internet for their daily needs.
