- GitHub deploys AI user data training by default, with optional opt-out
- Business, Enterprise and some other platforms are excluded from the change
- Company says real-time, live user data is crucial for good training
Mario Rodriguez, GitHub’s chief product officer, announced that the platform would use user data to train its AI models, operating on an opt-out basis that would automatically subscribe users to the data collection system.
The change will not only affect free users, but also Pro and Pro+: Copilot Business, Enterprise, student accounts and teacher accounts will be exempt from the new user data formation change.
The company’s blog post adds AI-generated content as well as user comments and interactions that will all be dedicated to training the AI models.
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GitHub will use your data to train its AI models, it confirms
Some of the elements that will go into training GitHub’s AI include: inputs, like prompts and code snippets; results, including accepted content and edited suggestions; code context; comments and documentation; file names and repository structures; Co-pilot interactions and even comments like a thumbs up or down.
In addition to the account types mentioned above and those that opt out, there is a third and final category of users who will be exempt from the training change. “Contents from your private issues, discussions, or repositories at rest,” Rodriguez writes, carefully pointing out that even private repositories can be used if a user is actively using Copilot.
The company is keen to emphasize that real-world interaction data significantly improves model training, thanking users who choose to share their data.
“We believe the future of AI-assisted development depends on real interaction data from developers like you,” the CPO added.
GitHub publicly declaring its stance on user data training is an important step, but even though users have the option to opt out, many are still unhappy with the default opt-in setting.
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