Social network X has revised its developer agreement to explicitly forbid third parties from using the platform’s data to train large language models. The update, made public on Wednesday, adds a clause under “Reverse Engineering and other Restrictions” stating users “shall not and shall not attempt to (or allow others to) […] use the X API or X Content to fine-tune or train a foundation or frontier model.”
This move follows Elon Musk’s AI company xAI acquiring X in March. Understandably, xAI aims to protect its competitive edge by preventing free access to X’s valuable data without a formal agreement or sale.
Previous Policy Adjustments
In 2023, X’s privacy policy allowed public data from the platform to be used for AI training. Further changes last October opened the door for third parties to train their models using X content. This latest revision reverses that to some extent.
X’s new stance aligns with other tech firms guarding their data from AI crawlers. Reddit, for example, has implemented protections to limit AI data scraping, and last month, The Browser Company included a similar clause in its AI-focused browser Dia’s terms of use.
What The Author Thinks
Restricting AI training on proprietary data is a smart business move, especially when ownership shifts. However, innovation thrives on openness and collaboration. Companies must find a balance between protecting their assets and enabling responsible data sharing that drives AI progress without compromising privacy or competitiveness.
Featured image credit: ABS-CBN
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