{
  "id": 19153512,
  "title": "Wearable sleep trackers are using your brainwaves to train AI models without explicit user consent",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/wearable-sleep-trackers-are-using-your-brainwaves-to-train-ai-models",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-11-09T12:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tom's Hardware",
    "slug": "tom-s-hardware",
    "url": "https://www.tomshardware.com/peripherals/wearable-tech/wearable-sleep-trackers-are-using-your-brainwaves-to-train-ai-models-without-explicit-user-consent-tens-of-millions-of-hours-of-eeg-data-harvested"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Wearable sleep trackers are secretly using users' brainwaves to train AI models without their explicit consent. Science recently discovered that companies behind these devices have amassed tens of millions of hours of electroencephalography (EEG) recordings, often without informing users. Interaxon, a Canadian firm, trains an AI model using about 50,000 hours of EEG data, though it now discloses this practice. However, customers were not initially made aware of this use. Privacy concerns are significant, as over two-thirds of the studied companies allow corporate data transfers without consent. Some companies, like Emotiv, are also training AI models with customer data, although they have updated their privacy policies to clarify. These wearable EEG devices, with just one to six electrodes, provide less comprehensive data than clinical systems. While AI models can recognize brain states or assist in research, they cannot read people's thoughts.",
  "summary": "Wearable neurotech companies have collected millions of hours of brainwave recordings to train AI models, raising questions about user consent, data privacy and who ultimately controls our neural data",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}