Anthropic Shifts to User-Generated Data for AI Model Training – Opt-Out Required
AI
Anthropic
Claude
Privacy
Data Training
Terms of Service
User Data
8
Data Driven Decisions
Media Hype
7/10
Real Impact
8/10
What is the Viqus Verdict?
We evaluate each news story based on its real impact versus its media hype to offer a clear and objective perspective.
AI Analysis:
While significant, this shift aligns with the broader industry trend toward real-world data, though the user opt-out requirement adds a layer of friction. The overall impact will be considerable, and social media buzz will be high due to the clear privacy implications.
Article Summary
Anthropic, a leading AI developer, is implementing a significant shift in its approach to AI model training. Starting September 28, 2025, the company will begin training its Claude AI models on user-generated data, including fresh chat transcripts and coding sessions. This move represents a notable expansion beyond purely synthetic data and is designed to enhance the responsiveness and capabilities of its models. However, users are required to actively opt-out of this data collection process, adding a layer of complexity and concern around data privacy. The new data retention policy extends to five years for those who don’t choose to opt out, raising potential questions about long-term data storage and usage. Importantly, this change applies to all consumer subscription tiers of Claude, including Claude Free, Pro, and Max, but excludes Anthropic’s commercial tiers utilized by government, enterprise, and educational clients. Users can manage this setting via a pop-up notification, with the default setting being ‘On,’ and the ability to toggle this setting ‘Off’ anytime via their privacy settings. Despite assurances that sensitive data will be filtered and obfuscated, the reliance on user-generated content introduces inherent risks.Key Points
- Anthropic will now train its AI models on user chat transcripts and coding sessions, expanding beyond synthetic data.
- Users must actively opt-out of this data collection, otherwise their conversations and coding sessions will be used for model training.
- The data retention policy now extends to five years for opted-out users, raising concerns about long-term data storage and privacy.