Meta workers outraged over internal software tracking keystrokes, mouse movements

Meta employees are fuming over a new internal tool that tracks their clicks and keystrokes — the latest flashpoint in the company’s all-in push on artificial intelligence.Staffers reacted with alarm after learning the software would monitor mouse movements, typing and on-screen activity to help train Meta’s AI systems, according to internal communications viewed by Business Insider.One employee wrote, “This makes me super uncomfortable.How do we opt out?” — a comment that quickly became the top response, as others flooded the thread with angry reactions, including a wave of “angry face” emojis.Employees were reacting to a new internal program first reported by Reuters, which said Meta would train its AI systems by analyzing keystrokes and mouse movements on workers’ computers.Executives told workers there would be no option to opt out on company-issued devices, while Meta said the program includes safeguards and is limited to work-related applications.The backlash comes as Meta ramps up a sweeping — and costly — overhaul of its AI strategy, pouring billions into infrastructure, talent and new products in a bid to catch up with rivals like OpenAI and Google.Meta is also reported to be on the verge of slashing its workforce, with the company planning to cut about 10% of its global staff — or roughly 8,000 workers — starting May 20 and potentially more later this year as it pivots toward AI-driven roles.The layoffs are part of a broader effort to reshape the company around artificial intelligence, with executives pushing to automate tasks previously handled by human workers, according to Reuters.“If we’re building agents to help people complete everyday tasks using computers, our models need real examples of how people actually use them — things like mouse movements, clicking buttons, and navigating dropdown menus,” a Meta spokesperson told The Post.“To help, we’re launching an internal tool that will capture these kinds of inputs...