How Meta tried, and failed, to grab its employees' data for AI
Meta's elite AI unit sought employee data to train models. A leak and worker revolt brought it to a halt.
Meta's top AI unit unveiled a plan to collect data from employees for AI training, sparking internal resistance. The program, called Model Capability Initiative (MCI), aimed to teach chatbots how humans use computers by capturing keystrokes, mouse movements, and screen activity. However, Meta's employees quickly revolted against the mandatory project, leading to memes, flyers, and a petition demanding its cancellation.
The company's internal tracking system eventually faced a data leak, prompting Meta to suspend the program and switch to an opt-in model. Former employees and internal documents revealed that the MCI initiative originated within Meta's elite AI unit, led by Rylan Schaeffer, Alexandr Wang, and Jack Rae. Despite assurances of strict privacy measures, employees worried that the data could be used to replace workers with AI, leading to a grassroots movement against the program.
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