Twitch is Utilizing User Content for Amazon AI Training, with Opt-Out Option Now Concealed

Twitch has recently begun utilizing content from streamers, including VODs and live broadcasts, to train Amazon’s AI models. The only way to prevent your content from being used in this manner is to navigate through your account’s security settings to find a hidden toggle.

On August 12, content creator and streaming reporter Zach Bussey shared a screenshot revealing a new option on Twitch that allows users to opt out of having their videos and content used for training Amazon’s AI models and generative tools. This screenshot quickly gained traction, along with Bussey’s link to the specific settings menu where you can find this opt-out option. It seems this feature was introduced recently and without much notice.

If you don’t opt out using this somewhat elusive setting, Twitch will have the ability to use your channel’s content to “train generative AI content models at Amazon.” Twitch clarified that disabling this option won’t stop AI-driven features on the platform, such as auto-commenting, ad selection, and chat moderation tools.

In a Twitch FAQ about generative AI training, the platform provides an example of what could happen if you allow your content to be used for training: “If you permit your content to be used for training a GenAI content model, your audio might help refine models that create speech-to-text, improving captions on Twitch and across Amazon.”

The FAQ also states that all aspects of a Twitch channel can be utilized for training Amazon’s AI models, including streams, VODs, clips, chats, images, and text. Additionally, if you opt out but participate in a stream of someone who hasn’t, your contributions can still be used for AI training.

During a stream addressing this issue, Twitch’s head of community, Mary Kish, attempted to downplay the platform’s AI usage, stating that she believes Twitch “can’t function without some forms of AI.” She confirmed that she has opted out personally but noted that AI is now integrated “across the board” in many livestreaming communities.

A particularly revealing moment occurred when chief product officer Mike Minton was asked why the option was opt-out instead of opt-in. He candidly responded, “If it was opt-in, nobody would opt in. That’s honestly the answer. So it’s going to be on by default.”

Later in the stream, Kish and Minton guided viewers on how to access the setting, acknowledging its somewhat hidden nature. Minton referenced a study suggesting that 50 percent of adults are now using AI tools like ChatGPT and expressed his comfort with AI training, stating that if he were a streamer, he wouldn’t opt out.

When a viewer inquired about streaming with someone who hasn’t opted out, Minton admitted he didn’t have a clear answer but acknowledged it was a “good question.” He also confirmed that Twitch has no plans to provide an easy way for users to see which channels are opted in or out of AI training.

Minton responded to a comment about community feedback, saying, “Not tone deaf here in terms of knowing where the community stands.” He acknowledged that feedback has been quite clear, and when asked why Twitch didn’t notify users via email about the change, Kish remarked that not everyone reads their emails and that DMs and word-of-mouth are often more effective.

It’s not surprising that Amazon, a major player in the tech industry eager to advance in the “AI WAR,” would look to Twitch for content to enhance its generative AI models and tools. Many companies are on the hunt for more content to feed their AI systems as they exhaust available resources online and in libraries. For now, you can opt out, but it raises the question of how long Amazon will allow this option before seeking to incorporate all Twitch content into its AI models to compete with ChatGPT, Google, and others.