Tumblr and WordPress.com were trying to sign a deal to provide user data for AI training

Automattic, the parent company of Tumblr and WordPress.com, is reportedly entering into agreements to sell user data to AI companies OpenAI and Midjourney for the purpose of training AI models. The deal involves using data from Tumblr posts, and there is an option for users to opt out if they do not wish their content to be used for this purpose.

Internal documents indicate that Automattic is preparing to compile and possibly sell a significant amount of user data, including public posts from 2014 to 2023. However, there have been issues with the inclusion of data that was not intended for sharing, such as private posts and content from deleted or suspended blogs. Automattic has stated its commitment to respecting user preferences regarding data sharing, including retroactively removing data from AI training datasets if users opt out.

This move aligns with a broader trend in the industry, where platforms like Reddit have also engaged in similar partnerships with AI companies. These collaborations aim to leverage user-generated content to enhance AI capabilities while raising concerns about privacy and data usage among users.