Google now uses your uploaded search media to train AI
Google quietly changed its policy to allow using media uploaded to its search tools for AI training. Users are automatically opted in but can opt out by adjusting settings.
Google has introduced a change to how it collects data for training its AI platforms. The company can now use media that users upload to its search tools, including images, files, audio, and video recordings, for AI training purposes. This applies to search-related products such as Google Lens, voice search, and Google Translate. For example, if you upload a photo to Google Lens for a visual search, or use voice search, or upload a file to Google Translate, that content may be used to train AI models.
Users are automatically opted into this data collection, but there is a way to opt out. To do so, go to the Search Services History page and uncheck the "Save Media" box. Then, check the Search Services Personalization page to ensure nothing is being saved. Personal Google Photos are not affected by this change.
Additionally, users can turn off AI overview results by adding "-AI" before a query. This update comes as AI training data demands grow, and it reflects a broader trend of companies using user data for AI development.
