Twitter accuses Microsoft of misusing its data, foreshadowing a possible fight over AI

A lawyer for Twitter proprietor Elon Musk accused Microsoft of misusing the service’s information and demanded an audit from the software program large.

The letter primarily addresses a seemingly slender set of alleged infractions by Microsoft in drawing info from Twitter’s database of tweets. However the transfer might foreshadow extra severe developments. Musk has beforehand accused Microsoft and its associate OpenAI in a tweet of “illegally” utilizing Twitter information to develop subtle AI methods reminiscent of ChatGPT.

“ Lawsuit time,” Musk wrote in that April tweet.

However the letter, signed by Musk lawyer Alex Spiro, tiptoed round that concern. It famous that Microsoft’s settlement with Twitter barred it from overuse of the service’s information reminiscent of exceeding “affordable request quantity” or “extreme or abusive utilization.” Spiro then famous that “regardless of these limitations,” Microsoft had retrieved greater than 26 billion tweets in 2022 alone.

He offered no context for these numbers. The method of coaching AI methods requires huge quantities of knowledge reminiscent of written textual content, which AI algorithms scour for patterns that the AI can use to make sense of language and enormous our bodies of information.

In different respects, the letter primarily laid out a sequence of vaguely worded allegations. For example, it famous that whereas Microsoft was required to tell Twitter about its supposed use of the info, it failed to take action for six of the eight Microsoft apps that drew on info from the Twitter database.

Equally, the letter asserted that not less than one Microsoft app had provided Twitter information to various digital places that “reference a authorities entity or company.” That apparently violated Microsoft’s settlement with Twitter, the letter said, which prohibited the corporate from retrieving Twitter information “on behalf of ‘any government-related entity’” with out first notifying Twitter.

The letter said that Microsoft had failed to offer such notification.

Microsoft spokesman Frank Shaw offered an announcement noting that Microsoft will evaluation questions raised by the letter after which will “reply appropriately.” The assertion added that “we stay up for persevering with our long run partnership” with Twitter, which it didn’t confer with by identify. Shaw declined to handle specifics from the letter.

Spiro’s letter demanded that Microsoft describe intimately the Twitter information it possesses or has beforehand destroyed, the aim for every of its apps that drew on Twitter info, and any authorities entities that used these Microsoft apps and whether or not they acquired information from Twitter’s database.