Tumblr and WordPress parent company, Automattic, is reportedly in talks to sell user data from the two platforms to AI companies Midjourney and OpenAI. According to a report by tech outlet 404 Media, this potential deal is aimed at enhancing the capabilities of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and text-to-image generator Midjourney.
Automattic’s decision to explore this opportunity comes at a time when various media outlets and social media platforms are entering into similar agreements to share their content with tech giants like Google and OpenAI. The goal is to leverage content-rich sources to improve the functionalities of large language models without the risk of copyright infringement.
However, the potential deal with Midjourney and OpenAI faces several challenges. A Tumblr product manager revealed that the initial data compiled for the platforms included private posts, deleted blog content, potentially explicit material, and even third-party content from official partner blogs.
To address concerns related to user privacy and content ownership, Automattic has shared an AI usage policy on its website. The policy outlines the company’s commitment to working with AI companies that prioritize user attribution, opt-outs, and control. Additionally, Automattic stated that it blocks major AI platform crawlers by default and updates this list regularly to protect user data.
As the tech industry continues to embrace AI technologies for various applications, partnerships between content platforms like Tumblr and WordPress and AI companies like Midjourney and OpenAI are becoming more common. These collaborations have the potential to drive innovation, but they also raise important questions about data privacy, content ownership, and user consent.
