Bluesky promises not to use your content to train generative AI

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While X formally leverages public positions to train its AI models, rival Bluesky is moving in the opposite direction by rejecting this controversial business practice.

“We are not using any of your content to train generative AI, and we have no intention of doing so,” Bluesky told users Friday.

Bluesky made the statement on the same day that X began implementing new rules to allow the company to leverage user posts to train AI models. X owner Elon Musk first spoke about it more than a year ago, prompting some users, particularly artists, to abandon the social media platform.

The main concern is that X’s future AI models will plagiarize user content without any recourse or compensation to the creators. Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, which runs rival Threads, also uses public posts to train its AI programs.

This has prompted some Bluesky artists and creators to ask questions about the company’s stance on AI training. In response, the social media platform said it only uses AI to facilitate content moderation and for its recommendation algorithms. “None of these systems are Gen AI systems trained on user content,” Bluesky added.

The decision will likely boost Bluesky’s appeal, particularly among artists and privacy-conscious users. On Thursday, Bluesky announced that it added 1 million more users in a single day. The platform now has more than 17 million users, up from 9 million in September.

X is facing backlash from some users over Elon Musk’s support for President-elect Donald Trump. Still, X was estimated to have 251 million daily active users in July. Meanwhile, Threads said it recently crossed 275 million monthly active users.