Would you quit? Meta will put keyloggers on employee PCs for AI training

Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc., wears Orion augmented reality (AR) glasses during the Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, California, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. — (Image credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

It's best to assume that nothing you do on a work-issued PC is private. But is there no limit? No breaking point where people start throwing their laptops out of windows and joining Watch Dogs-esque hacktivist groups? Meta sure seems to be looking for it.

Reuters reports that the Facebook, VR, and now AI company will track US-based employees' "mouse movements, clicks and keystrokes" on "work-related apps and websites" for the purpose of AI training. It will also take screenshots, according to the report.

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Meta introduced a new AI model, Muse Spark, earlier in April, and claims that it's a step toward "superintelligence," a buzzword the AI industry has been bandying about for years now. A Meta executive acknowledged to Bloomberg that the model performs worse than competitor models at some tasks, but said that it's "early," and that the company has bigger LLMs in development.

In its report, Reuters notes that Meta's keylogging initiative likely targets US employees because laws related to employee surveillance are stricter in Europe.

Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.

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