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Google's Gemini AI caught scanning Google Drive PDF files without permission

tomshardware.com

31–40 of 163 posts

Re: Google's Gemini AI caught scanning Google Drive PDF files without permission

#32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is the privacy implication of AI training?

I care much more about allowing my content to be used at all, despite any privacy concerns. I simply don't want one single AI model to train on my content.

[flagged]

Re: Google's Gemini AI caught scanning Google Drive PDF files without permission

#33
post #2

Just reiterates that you don't own your data hosted on cloud providers; this time there's a clear sign, but I can guarantee that google's systems read and aggregated data inside your private docs ages ago. This concern was first raised when Gmail started, 20 years ago now; at the time people reeled at the idea of "google reads your emails to give you ads", but at the same time the 1 GB inbox and fresh UI was a compel…

re: data on cloud providers: I trust ProtonDrive to not use my data because it is encrypted in transit and in place.

Apple now encrypts most data in transit and in place also, and they document which data is protected. I am up in the air on whether a future Apple will want to use my data for training public models. Apple’s design of pre trained core LLMs, with local training of pluggable fine tuning layers would seem to be fine, privacy wise, but I don’t really know.

I tend to trust the privacy of Google Drive less because I have authorized access to drive from Colab Pro, and a few third parties. That said, if this article is true, then less trust.

Your analogy with early Gmail is good. I got access to Gmail three years before it became public (Peter Norvig gave me an early private invite) and I liked, at the time, very relevant ads next to my Gmail. I also, gave Google AI plus (or whatever they called their $20/month service) full access to all my Google properties because I wanted to experiment with the usefulness of LLMs integrated into a Workplace type environment.

So, I have on my own volition surrendered privacy if Google properties.

Re: Google's Gemini AI caught scanning Google Drive PDF files without permission

#34
post #28

Every single week I have to refuse enabling back up for my pictures on my Google pixel. I refuse it today, next week I open the app and the UI shows the back up option enabled with a button "continue using the app with back up". Somebody took the time to talk down my comment about this being a strategy to give their AI more training data. I continue believing that if they have your data they will use it.

This goes for every SaaS / cloud native company

I think there will be a real shift back on prem with software delivered traditionally due to increased in shit like this (and also due to cost)

Re: Google's Gemini AI caught scanning Google Drive PDF files without permission

#35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I care much more about allowing my content to be used at all, despite any privacy concerns. I simply don't want one single AI model to train on my content.

[flagged]

That's like saying if you don't like ransomware just develop your own.

Re: Google's Gemini AI caught scanning Google Drive PDF files without permission

#36
post #28

Every single week I have to refuse enabling back up for my pictures on my Google pixel. I refuse it today, next week I open the app and the UI shows the back up option enabled with a button "continue using the app with back up". Somebody took the time to talk down my comment about this being a strategy to give their AI more training data. I continue believing that if they have your data they will use it.

I in no way want to absolve Google, but that's the case for so many app permissions on Android. Turn off notifications, and two weeks later the same app your turned off notifications for is once again sending you notifications. It's beyond a joke.

Re: Google's Gemini AI caught scanning Google Drive PDF files without permission

#37
post #28

Every single week I have to refuse enabling back up for my pictures on my Google pixel. I refuse it today, next week I open the app and the UI shows the back up option enabled with a button "continue using the app with back up". Somebody took the time to talk down my comment about this being a strategy to give their AI more training data. I continue believing that if they have your data they will use it.

I don't get those prompts with Google Photos. Have you tried selecting "Use without an account" in the account menu at the top right?

Re: Google's Gemini AI caught scanning Google Drive PDF files without permission

#38
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but I can guarantee that google's systems read and aggregated data inside your private docs ages ago That is how search works, yes. But if you’re trying to imply that everyone’s private data was scraped and loaded into their LLM, then no, that’s obviously a conspiracy theory. It’s incredible to me that people think Google has convinced tens of thousands of engineers to quietly keep secret an epic conspiracy theory…

I dunno, bro, software engineers have repeatedly shown total lack of wider judgment in these contexts over the years. Not to say there is, in fact, some kind of “epic conspiracy,” just that SWEs appear not to take much time to consider just what it is their code ends up being used for. Incidentally, that would be one way to start to get out of the mess we’ve found ourselves in: start holding SWEs accountable for thei…

I was hanging out around startup incubators, and, by extension, many wantrepreneurs. When asked about business model, the knee jerk reaction was usually “we’re going to sell data!” regardless of product. I was appalled by how hard it is to keep founders from abusing the data when I worked at startups. GDPR and the likes are seen as an annoyance and they make every effort to find a loophole.

Re: Google's Gemini AI caught scanning Google Drive PDF files without permission

#39
post #7

There is no cloud. It's just someone else's computer.

Just because “the cloud” is someone else’s computer doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

That's exactly how cloud is marketed. As a invisible mass of computers floating in the atmosphere.

Re: Google's Gemini AI caught scanning Google Drive PDF files without permission

#40
post #28

Every single week I have to refuse enabling back up for my pictures on my Google pixel. I refuse it today, next week I open the app and the UI shows the back up option enabled with a button "continue using the app with back up". Somebody took the time to talk down my comment about this being a strategy to give their AI more training data. I continue believing that if they have your data they will use it.

This goes for every SaaS / cloud native company I think there will be a real shift back on prem with software delivered traditionally due to increased in shit like this (and also due to cost)

> there will be a real shift back on prem with software

Not while we’re production constrained on the bleeding edge of GPUs.

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