The honeymoon phase with artificial intelligence (AI) seems to be over. Tech giants like Microsoft, Adobe, Meta, and Amazon are facing growing user backlash over privacy concerns and the way AI is being developed.

Microsoft’s Recall shelved after screen-scraping fury

Microsoft’s “Recall” tool, designed to be an “everyday AI companion”, promised to create a searchable library of everything on your device. However, the idea of the software taking screen captures every few seconds, grabbing passwords, conversations and private photos, proved a massive turn-off for users. The Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK even launched an investigation. Microsoft has backtracked, delaying the release and promising a privacy-focused revamp.

Adobe accused of stealing user work for AI training

Adobe’s update to its terms of service sparked outrage over fears the company would use customer work to train its AI art generator, Firefly. Artists were particularly concerned, finding their styles mimicked in AI-generated images on Adobe Stock. After a wave of user cancellations, Adobe scrambled to clarify its position, insisting it wouldn’t access user content beyond legal requirements. The company has now explicitly stated its software will not use user content to train AI, except for works submitted to the Adobe Stock marketplace.

Meta under fire for scraping Facebook and Instagram data

Social media giant Meta has been accused of training its AI tools on user data from Facebook and Instagram, despite initial denials. The company now claims it only uses publicly available content, but users in the EU can opt-out through a complex and bureaucratic process. European regulators are taking action, with Ireland’s Data Protection Commission demanding Meta address the lawsuits against it. Meta insists it complies with all regulations, but the controversy continues.

Amazon flooded with AI-generated fake books

Amazon’s online marketplace became a dumping ground for AI-generated books. Not only were these works often poorly written and riddled with errors, but some contained potentially harmful information. Authors like Jane Friedman were horrified to find fake books under their names. Amazon has responded by limiting the number of books authors can self-publish per day and requiring authors to disclose AI-generated content.

Privacy vs progress?

These controversies highlight the ethical concerns surrounding AI development. While some argue AI will create new jobs, others worry it will steal existing ones, particularly in creative fields. Data privacy is another major concern, with users worried about their personal information being used to train AI tools without their consent. The issue of misinformation is also critical, as AI models trained on vast amounts of internet data can easily pick up biases and inaccuracies.