"Because Our Employees Are Highly Intelligent"... Zuckerberg Explains Providing Log Data to AI

Meta Faces Controversy Over Tracking Employee Computer Usage
Zuckerberg: "AI Observing Smart People at Work"
Accelerating 'AI for Work' Development Amid Workforce Reduction Concerns

As suspicions have arisen that Meta has been tracking employees' computer usage logs, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has stated that these records were provided to artificial intelligence (AI).

U.S. Big Tech Company Meta. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

According to Yonhap News Agency on May 1 (local time), which cited the U.S. information technology (IT) media outlet The Information, Zuckerberg explained during a recent company-wide meeting, "We are now at a stage where our AI models are learning by watching very smart people at work."

He added, "The average intelligence level of employees working at our company is much higher than that of the typical workforce you could secure through contractors," emphasizing, "It is important for AI to observe very smart people at work."

Previously, it came to light that Meta had installed a tracking software called the Model Capability Initiative (MCI) on work computers of U.S. employees, collecting data such as mouse movements, clicks, and keystrokes. The reason given was "because our employees are smart."

Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth also stated that the company would strengthen internal data collection as it develops "AI for Work." He said, "We aim to establish a system in which AI agents primarily perform work, while human employees supervise, review, and improve these processes." He stressed, "We will build data and evaluation materials on every type of interaction that occurs during work processes."

Meta explained that "the collected data will not be used for purposes other than performance evaluation and model training," and that "safeguards are in place to protect 'sensitive content.'" However, it was not disclosed exactly which types of data would be excluded from collection.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg attended the U.S. Congress on the 26th of last month. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News Agency

Previously, Meta also announced plans to develop an "AI clone"—a replicated human—identical to Zuckerberg. The AI clone will learn Zuckerberg's way of speaking, behavior, public statements, and recent management strategies, with the intention of allowing employees to feel as though they are interacting with the real Zuckerberg. To this end, Zuckerberg is reported to be personally providing his own voice, photos, and video data to train the system.

Some have raised the possibility that, once work-related AI is completed, workforce reductions among software developers and other roles may accelerate further. However, after Meta's earnings announcement on April 29, Zuckerberg said, "AI will not replace people," and added, "Rather, it will empower people to do the work they want to do."

This stance is in contrast to Meta's recent announcement of a 10% workforce reduction. Chief Financial Officer Susan Li, when asked about the company's optimal staffing level, replied, "We don't know," and noted, "There are many changes happening as AI capabilities are rapidly advancing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.