Apple Denies Using YouTube Videos To Train Its AI Features After Report Claims Tim Cook's Company Used Creators' Content Without Consent

Apple Inc. AAPL has stated that its OpenELM model is not used to power any of its AI or machine learning features, including Apple Intelligence. This clarification comes amid reports suggesting the use of YouTube subtitles for training.

What Happened: In a statement to 9to5Mac on Thursday, Apple confirmed that the OpenELM model, launched in April, was developed solely for research purposes and to contribute to the open-source large language model development community.

Apple’s statement follows an investigation that revealed the use of over 170,000 YouTube subtitles by Apple and other tech companies to train their AI models.

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However, Apple has now clarified that the OpenELM model, accessible on Apple’s Machine Learning Research website, does not power any of its Apple Intelligence features.

Apple has previously stated that its Intelligence models were trained “on licensed data, including data selected to enhance specific features, as well as publicly available data collected by our web crawler.”

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The “YouTube Subtitles” dataset, part of a larger collection called “The Pile” from non-profit EleutherAI, is not used to power Apple Intelligence.

Moreover, Apple has no plans to develop any new versions of the OpenELM model, the company added.

Why It Matters: The issue of tech companies using YouTube videos to train their AI models without creators’ consent has been a contentious one. Apple was accused of such practices, with Tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, or MKBHD, voicing concerns about Apple’s use of YouTube content for AI training.

Furthermore, AI startups like OpenAI and Anthropic have been accused of ignoring web scraping rules, leading to controversies. This led to platforms like Reddit Inc. updating their policies to block automated website scraping.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo courtesy: Apple

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