Meta has refuted claims of utilizing pirated adult content for training its AI models. In response to a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Strike 3 Holdings, the company dismissed the allegations as baseless. Strike 3 Holdings alleged that Meta’s corporate IP addresses were involved in downloading thousands of copyrighted films through BitTorrent. However, Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, denied any connection between these downloads and its AI training activities.
In a legal filing at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Meta contended that there is no evidence to suggest that they have ever used adult images or videos for AI model training. The company argued that the lawsuit lacks credibility and suggested that the downloads were likely done by individuals for personal reasons on Meta’s network. Meta deemed the plaintiff’s claims speculative and unfounded.
The lawsuit by Strike 3 Holdings accuses Meta of using over 2,300 of its films to train AI models, demanding $350 million in damages. Meta countered by pointing out that its AI research only began in 2022, making the timeline of the alleged downloads inconsistent with the studio’s accusations.
Meta also rejected the idea that its AI systems would benefit from adult content, emphasizing that their terms of service prohibit training on such material. The company stated that they actively avoid using adult content for AI training, refuting any suggestion that it could enhance AI model performance.
Addressing the challenge of monitoring all downloads on its extensive network, Meta highlighted the complexity and invasiveness of such an undertaking. They criticized Strike 3’s lawsuit as lacking identification of the download perpetrators, whether they were Meta employees, or how the content was linked to any AI project. Meta accused Strike 3 of resorting to mass lawsuits and described their tactics as extortionate.
Meta has requested the dismissal of the lawsuit from the US District Court, reiterating the lack of factual basis in the claims made by Strike 3 Holdings.