Meta installs employee tracking tool to train AI agents

Meta is installing a tool called Model Capability Initiative on US-based employees' work computers to record mouse movements, clicks, keystrokes, and occasional screenshots for AI training data. The tool, reported by Reuters and confirmed by Meta spokesperson Tracy Clayton, runs in work-related apps and websites. Clayton said in a statement to The Verge that if Meta is building agents to help people complete everyday tasks using computers, its models need real examples of how people actually use them, including mouse movements, clicking buttons, and navigating dropdown menus. She added that safeguards protect sensitive content and the data is not used for performance assessments. Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth announced the initiative in an internal memo on Monday as part of the Agent Transformation Accelerator program. Bosworth wrote that the vision is one where agents primarily do the work and employees' role is to direct, review and help them improve. The announcement has triggered what sources described as intense internal backlash. One employee replied to the memo asking how to opt out, according to Alex Heath's Sources. Bosworth responded that there is no option to opt out of this on work provided laptops. The data will be used to train Meta's AI models to interact with computers the way humans do, including automating work tasks.