Google will save your Lens photos, Search Live recordings, and Translate audio for AI training

Google announced on May 15, 2024, that it will begin saving user interactions with Search, including images, files, audio, and video, under a new "Search Services History" setting. This change will encompass images used with Google Lens and recordings from its real-time search features. The company stated in an email to users that these saved interactions will be used to improve its AI models. Users will have the option to opt-out of this data collection by disabling the "Search Services History" setting. Previously, Google saved search queries and browsing history, but this update expands the scope to include richer media types submitted through various Search functionalities. The company aims to leverage this data to enhance the capabilities and accuracy of its artificial intelligence services, such as Google Assistant and Bard. The new setting will be enabled by default for existing users, who will receive a notification to review their preferences. New users will have the choice to enable or disable the setting during their initial setup. Google emphasized that user privacy remains a priority and that data collected will be anonymized and aggregated before being used for AI training purposes. The company also clarified that this data will not be used for personalized advertising. Users can manage their "Search Services History" and delete past data through their Google Account settings. This move aligns with broader industry trends where tech giants are increasingly utilizing user-generated data to fuel the development of advanced AI technologies.