SpaceX has updated its Starlink privacy policy to permit the utilization of customer data for AI training, a strategic move that may advance Elon Musk’s AI aspirations.
Prior to an anticipated high-profile IPO later this year, SpaceX is reportedly in negotiations to merge with Musk’s AI venture, xAI, as per a recent Reuters report. SpaceX, already holding the title of the world’s most valuable private firm, could potentially exceed a valuation of $1 trillion post the IPO.
Starlink made revisions to its Global Privacy Policy on January 15, as disclosed on the Starlink website. The updated policy specifies that unless a user actively opts out, Starlink data might be employed “to train our machine learning or artificial intelligence models” and could be shared with the company’s service providers and “third-party collaborators,” with specifics undisclosed.
An earlier iteration of the privacy policy, based on a November archived version reviewed by Reuters, did not contain provisions regarding AI training using Starlink data.
SpaceX has not provided a response to media inquiries.
STARLINK DATA INSIGHTS
Starlink gathers a vast array of user data, encompassing location details, credit card particulars, contact information, and user IP addresses. Additionally, it acquires communication data, such as audio and visual content, shared file data, and “inferences we may make from other personal information we collect,” as outlined in its global privacy policy.
The policy does not explicitly outline the exact data to be utilized for AI training. This move has sparked concerns among privacy advocates and consumer rights groups, who argue that leveraging personal data for AI training could escalate surveillance practices and introduce potential avenues for misuse.
“It certainly raises my eyebrow and would make me concerned if I was a Starlink user,” noted Anupam Chander, a technology law professor at Georgetown University. “Often there’s perfectly legitimate uses of your data, but it doesn’t have a clear limit to what kind of uses it will be put to.”
Musk’s xAI, valued at $230 billion post a recent funding round, is actively developing its Grok LLM chatbot and also possesses X, a social media platform.
The potential merger with xAI could significantly accelerate the space company’s implementation of AI-driven services, while providing xAI access to extensive new data sets for model training, including communication data. Starlink, comprising a network of over 9,000 satellites, presently serves internet connectivity to more than 9 million users.
