May 17, 2024 at 01:42PM
Slack’s privacy controversy arises from scraping customer data, including messages and files, for AI/ML model development without user opt-in. Despite assurances, Slack admins are seeking to opt-out of data scraping. While Slack insists on technical controls, CISOs argue customers should not bear this burden. Slack assures platform-level ML model transparency and individual data control.
From the meeting notes, here are the key takeaways:
1. Slack has been scraping customer data, including messages and files, for developing new AI and ML models without requiring users to opt-in.
2. Corporate Slack admins are scrambling to opt-out of the data scraping after a social media controversy regarding the usage of direct messages and sensitive content for AI/ML model development.
3. CISOs are not surprised but are concerned that customers should not bear the burden of opting out of data scraping.
4. Slack claims to have platform-level machine-learning models for recommendations and search results and insists that customers can exclude their data from helping train those non-generative ML models.
5. Slack AI is a separately purchased add-on that uses Large Language Models (LLMs) but does not train those LLMs on customer data and hosts the models on its own infrastructure.
6. Slack states that data will not leak across workspaces, and broad models are not built or trained to learn, memorize, or reproduce customer data.
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