Amazon Uses Twitch Streamers' Content to Train AI Models Unless Creators Opt Out

Twitch content has trained Amazon AI for years, but users can opt out now

Twitch now lets users opt out of Amazon's use of content from their channels to train Amazon's "generative AI content models." The change, announced today, comes more than two years after a company executive confirmed that Amazon was using Twitch content for AI training. In an updated support page, Twitch confirms that users must opt out if they don't want their "streams, VODs, clips, stream chats, and pictures and text on your channel [to] be used in future training of a model developed by Amazon whose purpose is to generate or synthesize text, audio, images, or video." To opt out, users must go to the proper settings at www.twitch.tv/settings/security. The support page adds: When you allow training, that means that your content may be used for future Gen AI model improvements. An example of what happens when you allow your content to be used for training a Gen AI content model is that your audio might help refine models that create speech to text, which would help improve captions at Twitch but would also help improve captions across Amazon. Twitch users are automatically opted in to AI training and seemingly have been for at least a couple of years. When asked at an event that news publication The Information held in 2024 if Amazon uses Twitch to train AI models, Twitch's chief monetization officer at the time, Mike Minton, said, "Yeah, for sure." He added: "I mean, I think obviously within the bounds of user trust within the bounds of privacy regulations, which vary all around the world, but of course we have a role to play in that." Still, online discussion, including some occurring just days before today's announcement, points to a lack of awareness and uncertainty around Amazon's use of Twitch content. Ars Technica asked Twitch how long Amazon, which bought Twitch in 2014, has used content on the platform for AI training. We'll update this article if we get a response. Some users may not want their Twitch content used to train Amazon AI because of a lack of financial benefit, concerns that AI could cannibalize their business, or an aversion to the broader Amazon conglomerate. Others may be comfortable with their work being used for AI development. In either case, Twitch users now have more control over the matter. However, automatically opting users into AI training, along with a lack of transparency, means some will remain skeptical about Amazon leveraging user-generated content this way.

Amazon will train on Twitch streamers' content by default, unless they opt out

The streaming platform Twitch will now use creators' content to help train generative AI models for its parent company, Amazon. This move has inspired swift and concentrated backlash from the Twitch community, especially because creators are opted in to having their content used for this AI training by default. For Amazon, these stream recordings are incredibly valuable, offering thousands of hours of audio and video content to help train AI models. But Twitch users worry that since creators have to manually opt out, they might be surrendering their content to train Amazon's AI content models without even knowing it. This is especially concerning on a platform like Twitch, where creators are often recording livestreams of themselves and their voices for many hours per week. In a stream on the official Twitch channel, Twitch Head of Community Mary Kish and Chief Product Officer Mike Minton addressed a live audience of nearly 3,000 aggrieved users, many of whom were posting anti-AI sentiments in the chat. "Why is it not opt-in? That's what everybody is spamming in chat. I get it. 'Let me opt in versus making me opt out,'" Minton said. "Well, there's an honest answer... If this was opt-in, nobody would opt in. That's honestly the answer." Twitch knows that its community of streamers is largely opposed to the use of generative AI, since the most prevalent generative AI products are trained on books, images, videos, and other materials scraped from the internet without consent. Even Twitch's approach to breaking this news shows that the company is braced for backlash. Instead of telling the community that Amazon would begin training on Twitch users' content, Twitch framed this change as "[adding] a setting that lets you opt out of having your channel content used to train generative AI content models across Amazon." In some cases, this created confusion among streamers about whether their content had already been fed to Amazon without their knowledge. When one user asked if their videos had already been used for training, Minton responded, "I don't actually know the answer to that question because I don't know what Amazon [...] has done in terms of model training and what they've used and not used." Kish noted that Twitch is not unique in its use of user content for AI training. Meta, for example, uses public content from its platforms to train its own AI models, meaning that if your Facebook and Instagram accounts are public, then your data has probably already been used for Meta's AI training. (If you live in the U.K., you can opt out of Meta's training -- if not, the only way to "opt out" is to use private settings, which isn't feasible for creators who monetize their accounts.) Kish said that even including an opt-out option on Twitch is "a reflection of reacting to this community's voice that you are not wanting to train Gen AI models, and we want to give you that option." To opt out of AI training on Twitch, users can navigate to their channel settings (not the creator dashboard), select the security and privacy tab, scroll down to the option "training for generative AI," and toggle it off.

Amazon Can Use Your Twitch Content to Train Its AI -- Unless You Opt Out

Twitch has updated its account settings to let streamers opt out of having their content used to help train the artificial intelligence models of Twitch's parent company, Amazon. Although the move has reassured some creators, it remains unclear exactly when the streaming platform began using the posts, streams, and videos of its users to train Amazon's systems. The revelation is raising new concerns about how big tech companies handle their users' data. The opt-out process is simple. From the Twitch website or mobile app, click on your account avatar, select Settings, and then go to the Security and Privacy section in the menu. There, you'll find the Generative AI Training option, where you can disable the use of your content for that purpose. In the language next to the toggle, Twitch notes that "disabling this option does not prevent Twitch and Amazon from using your channel's content for other purposes described in Twitch's Privacy Notice." These include AI-powered platform features designed to facilitate streamers' growth and monetization, such as real-time assistance for sponsorship campaigns, viewer discovery through recommendations, and community safety via tools like AutoMod. The new setting aims to recognize creators' right to decide how the content they produce is used. However, its launch has also raised questions about how Twitch and Amazon have used that content up to now. In a forum dedicated to the topic, more than 16,000 creators expressed opposition to having their content being used by default to train Amazon's AI systems -- a practice that only came to light following the update to the settings. The backlash arose after a livestream in which Mary Kish, Twitch's head of community, explained the introduction of the changes. The executive acknowledged that the change would provoke a negative reaction. Mike Minton, Twitch's head of product, also noted -- in what he described as "a candid response" -- that keeping the option to use content for AI training enabled by default was necessary, since otherwise "no one would participate" in the process. Minton pointed out that these mechanisms are not unique to Twitch and considered it likely that other companies developing AI systems are also extracting content from Twitch and other services to use in training their models. "I don't know for sure," he said, "but I think it's quite reasonable to assume that almost any publicly available content is used to train models in one way or another, with or without permission. So I think we also need to acknowledge that there's a lot here that's beyond even our direct control." These statements raised new questions: Since when has Twitch content been used to train AI models? Is Amazon the only company using this data, or are its business partners also involved? To what extent and in what ways is the authorship of content published by creators respected? Twitch's Terms of Service, in effect since March 2024, have stipulated that users grant Twitch and its sublicensees the right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, distribute, and create derivative works from their content. However, until now, they have not explicitly stated that such materials could be used to train generative AI models. The Training Data Problem This case highlights one of the major challenges facing AI system developers: the growing shortage of high-quality data for training models. Although companies like OpenAI have reached agreements with various publishers (including WIRED's corporate parent, Condé Nast) to use some of their content for this purpose, available data sources are dwindling as technology advances and the demand for data increases. As a result, various alternatives have emerged that are reigniting the debate over the ethics and transparency of training processes. For some time now, Meta has been using posts and images that users share on Facebook and Instagram to train its AI models. Recently, it also came to light that the company was using its employees' activity and screenshots captured by users of its smart glasses for the same purpose. Similar cases have been documented involving Google and YouTube. Thus, high-quality training data has become another strategic resource -- along with chips, memory, and electricity -- that the leading developers of artificial intelligence models have found running short as they struggle to sustain the pace of innovation demanded by the market. All signs point to a portion of that demand being met with information generated by users themselves, in exchange for free access to everyday digital services. This story originally appeared in WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.

New Twitch Feature Uses Channel Content to Train AI Without Asking Permission - CNET

On Wednesday, Twitch confirmed reports that the streaming channel was using channel content to train Amazon's AI models. While we aren't sure how long the training feature has been active, Twitch has now added an opt-out button to its settings that will allow creators to turn the feature off. However, it is automatically enabled unless its users take action. AI models, like the ones Amazon uses for Alexa Plus and other projects, require large amounts of content to train them to piece together accurate language or images. The Twitch platform is overflowing with such content, featuring large amounts of video, audio spoken by creators and text in stream chats. However, people who haven't consented to training may not want their voice, words or video to be analyzed by AI and used in future prompts. Representatives from Amazon and Twitch did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Twitch's latest FAQ states, "When you allow training, that means that your content may be used for future Gen AI model improvements. An example of what happens when you allow your content to be used for training a GenAI content model is that your audio might help refine models that create speech to text, which would help improve captions at Twitch but would also help improve captions across Amazon." To turn off this feature, you can head to Twitch account settings and toggle off the feature that says Training for Generative AI. Twitch says you can still use other AI-powered features like Automods and campaign optimization even if you opt out of training. Questions persist on how this AI Twitch training works It's unclear what this means for chat on a Twitch channel. You don't have to be a content creator to participate in a stream, so it's worth asking whether chats from a streamer's fans are also being used for this training. Twitch makes no mention of chat or how it's affected by the training feature, but there could be consent issues around analyzing audience members' contributions as well as the stream itself. Many Twitch users also stream other live content, including other creators' channels. This creates a potential conflict when the original streamer opts out of AI training, but the streamer rebroadcasting their content has AI training enabled. In that case, the AI model could still gain access to the original streamer's content without their direct consent. Twitch has also faced legal challenges over copyrighted music in the past, while some content creators have used various methods to circumvent the platform's music restrictions. Depending on how training data is collected, Amazon could also capture copyrighted music from streaming services for use in its AI models, potentially creating additional legal concerns.

Twitch streamers can now opt out from training Amazon's AI

Twitch users can now opt out of allowing their content to be used to train Amazon's generative AI models. Opting out means that "your streams, VODs, clips, stream chats, and pictures and text on your channel" won't be used in "future training" of an Amazon AI model "whose purpose is to generate or synthesize text, audio, images, or video," according to a Twitch support page. Other "AI-supported" features like captions and safety tools will still function if you opt-out of generative AI training. However, if you participate in a chat on another person's stream, "their opt-out preferences govern if that chat can be used for training," Twitch says. The "Training for Generative AI" toggle is present for me in Twitch's settings under the Security and Privacy tab. It was toggled on when I found it, and I've asked Amazon if that's the default. Here's the full text of Amazon's description for the toggle: Allow your channel content to train generative AI content models at Amazon. Turning this off does not opt you out of Twitch and Amazon using your channel content for other purposes described in the Twitch Privacy Notice, including using AI-supported Twitch features that benefit the community by facilitating streamer growth and monetization (such as real-time sponsorship campaign assistance), viewer discovery (such as recommendations), and community safety (such as AutoMod). Learn more

Amazon Is Using Twitch Content for AI Training: Here's How You Can Opt Out

Twitch has confirmed that its parent company, Amazon, uses the platform's content for AI training, and users will need to opt out of the program if they don't like it. It's unclear when Amazon began using Twitch users' content for AI training; it acquired Twitch in 2014. The setting is enabled by default for all streamers. To opt out, go to Settings > Security and Privacy and disable the toggle next to Training for Generative AI. Once you disable the option, "your streams, VODs, clips, stream chats, and pictures and text on your channel will not be used in future training of a model developed by Amazon whose purpose is to generate or synthesize text, audio, images, or video," Twitch says on a support page. Even after opting out, a couple of AI-powered features will rely on your data. One is automated Captions, and the other is AutoMod, a feature that uses machine learning to review inappropriate chats before they go live. For both these features, Twitch says it won't retain your data or use it to generate new content. There's one more catch. If you're on someone else's stream, their preferences dictate whether the chat is used for AI training or not. Social media reactions to the announcement suggest that some users are only now finding out that their data was being used for AI training. Since May 31, Twitch's UserVoice feedback platform has seen users upvote a suggestion to make AI features opt-in rather than opt-out. As of writing, more than 15,000 users have voted in favor of it. Explaining the decision in a stream soon after the announcement, Twitch's chief product officer Mike Minton said: "If it was opt in, nobody would opt in. That's honestly the answer."

Twitch feeds your streams to Amazon's AI unless you tell it to stop

Bot training switch is on by default, because apparently asking first wasn't going to work Twitch has given streamers a switch to stop their channel content being fed into Amazon's generative AI machinery, but naturally it is turned on by default. The Amazon-owned streaming platform has added a "Training for Generative AI" control to channel settings, allowing streamers to opt out of having their content used for future GenAI model improvements. With the setting enabled, Twitch says channel content - including livestreams, videos on demand, clips, highlights, text, images, and chat messages - may be used to train Amazon's generative AI models. The benefits aren't confined to Twitch either, as the company says the resulting models may also be used elsewhere in the Amazon empire. For example, Twitch says audio from streams could be used to refine speech-to-text models, improving captions on Twitch as well as "across Amazon." Streamers who would rather not contribute their channels to Amazon's AI ambitions can opt out, but they'll need to do it themselves. Twitch has helpfully enabled the setting by default. Twitch chief product officer Mike Minton offered a refreshingly uncomplicated explanation for that decision during a livestream discussing the changes: "If it was opt-in, nobody would opt in," he said. "That's honestly the answer. So it's going to be on by default." The new control also doesn't mark the beginning of Amazon using Twitch material to build AI. According to Ars Technica, Minton confirmed at an event hosted by The Information in 2024 that Amazon was already using Twitch data to train AI models. What's changed is that Twitch users now have a dedicated way to tell it to stop using their content for future generative AI training. There are some wrinkles, naturally. The channel owner's setting determines whether messages posted in its chat can be used, so opting out on your own channel does not protect what you type in somebody else's if that streamer leaves training enabled. And Twitch's wording is conspicuously forward-looking: opting out means content won't be used for "future" GenAI model improvements. The company doesn't say that flicking the switch somehow extracts anything that has already made its way into a model. The Register has asked Amazon which of its AI models have been trained on Twitch content, how long it has been using the data, and whether opting out has any effect on material already used for training. We've also asked whether models trained on Twitch content are used in products available to Amazon customers or third parties. For now, Twitch creators finally have a way to keep their content off Amazon's generative AI training menu. All they have to do is find the switch Amazon would plainly rather they left alone. ®

Twitch just allowed generative AI to automatically train on your stream: here's how to turn it off

* Twitch auto-enrolled streamers in a default "Training for Generative AI" toggle letting Amazon train on streams. * Disable it at Settings > Security & Privacy > Training for Generative AI on the Twitch website. * Disabling stops Amazon training but not AutoMod, recommendations or sponsorship AI; users are protesting. If you're a content creator and you regularly stream to Twitch, the service has just automatically enrolled you in a new feature. This feature allows Amazon to train its models on your content, and as you might imagine, a lot of streamers are not happy with the change. Fortunately, disabling this feature is quick and easy, although the fact that it wasn't opt-out by default has users a little worried. Twitch is enrolling streamers into AI training automatically You can turn it off, though In a new update to the Twitch website and announced in a post on the Twitch Support X feed, the company has added a new toggle in the user settings titled "Training for Generative AI." It's enabled by default, and while it's on, it permits Twitch to use your channel content "to train generative AI content models at Amazon." If you don't want this to happen, you can disable it by following these steps: * Head over to the Twitch website. * Click on your user icon, then click Settings. * Click on Security and Privacy. * Scroll down to the Privacy section. * Click the toggle for Training for Generative AI. Twitch notes that while this does stop Amazon from training off your channel's content, it doesn't prevent all AI processes from affecting your channel. Some examples of AI processes that will still influence your Twitch stream include real-time sponsorship campaigns, cultivating user stream recommendations, and powering the automatic Twitch chat moderation system AutoMod. The user reception to this feature has been seemingly overwhelmingly negative. Users are taking to social media to protest the change, and a new thread titled "Make all AI features optional, and opt-out by default" has been created on the Twitch User Voice website where people can air their displeasure. Said thread has received 13,486 votes at the time of writing, and continues to climb.

How to stop Twitch from training AI on your streams - Engadget

How to stop Twitch from training AI on your streams And why the company didn't make the feature opt-in. Twitch recently confirmed it will use streamers' content to train its generative AI models. The Amazon-owned platform is automatically opting all users in to the feature. And in the most predictable turn of events possible: the move has not gone over well, to put it mildly. Within hours of Twitch's announcement, nearly 14,000 people had upvoted a comment on the company's support forum demanding the platform make the setting opt-in and not opt-out. "We as creators should have the choice whether to use AI or not on our channels," it said. The post has thousands of comments echoing the sentiment, many of which did so in more forceful terms.

Twitch finally gives streamers an AI training opt-out after Amazon quietly used their content for years

Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. A hot potato: Amazon has been using Twitch content to train its generative AI models for years, though it's never been exactly forthcoming about this fact. Now, the streaming platform has confirmed this does happen, and those who don't want to participate must opt out. Twitch announced on its official X channel that it has added a setting that allows users to opt out of having their channel content used to train generative AI models across Amazon. X's user-added context box notes that opting out will not prevent your data being used if you chat on someone else's stream and they never opted out of the training. The fact that users have been automatically opted in to this AI training for years is causing a lot of anger. At a 2024 event held by The Information, Twitch's chief monetization officer at the time, Mike Minton, was asked if Amazon uses Twitch to train AI models. "Yeah, for sure," he said. "I mean, I think obviously within the bounds of user trust within the bounds of privacy regulations, which vary all around the world, but of course we have a role to play in that." But Amazon never made it clear that this AI training was taking place, leading to plenty of angry posts. There was also a Twitch User Voice thread on the issue posted in May. It called for the AI training to be optional, with users opted out by default. During a livestream yesterday, Minton showed a remarkable amount of honesty for an executive when asked about the opt-in versus opt-out argument. "If it was opt in, nobody would opt in," he said, adding that most people can probably appreciate this reasoning. Minton also said that almost every content service in the world is on by default - in some cases, like Meta, the only way to stop it from happening is to make an account private. they know we don't want it. they do not care. [image or embed] - TQ 🌿 ( @witchytq.bsky.social) 12 August 2026 at 20:25 Twitch head of community Mary Kish, who was also on the stream alongside Minton, suggested that Amazon was doing Twitch users a favor by including an opt-out button, calling it "a reflection of reacting to this community's voice that you are not wanting to train Gen AI models, and we want to give you that option." Minton dodged the question when he was asked if Amazon has already been using streamers' content for AI training, even though he seemingly confirmed this a couple of years ago. "I don't actually know the answer to that question because I don't know what Amazon [...] has done in terms of model training and what they've used and not used," he said. Minton isn't wrong about nobody wanting to opt in. Twitch streamers are rightly concerned about their livelihoods being threatened by AI, especially one they helped train without compensation.

Twitch faces backlash over Amazon training AI on its users' livestreams

Twitch is now allowing users to stop Amazon from training their generative artificial intelligence (AI) models using users' content, the popular streaming platform said. The US company said users can opt out of a default setting that allows Amazon to use streams, clips, images, chats and other channel content. The announcement on Wednesday confirmed that the technology giant, which took over Twitch in 2014, was using the platform's content for AI training, prompting widespread backlash from users. Amazon runs a host of AI services and has heavily invested in the its development as it seeks to compete with Google, Meta and other technology giants. The BBC has contacted Amazon for comment and Twitch for more information. Twitch is a major livestreaming platform that is especially popular among gamers and youths. The platform's top content creators have tens of millions of followers. AI training collection has been turned on by default just as it is on most content services, but Twitch is "respecting" users' wishes to opt out if they prefer, Twitch's chief product officer Mike Minton said during a stream on the platform. Asked why data is being collected by default, he said: "If it's opt-in, nobody would opt-in. That's the honest answer." Users who remain opted in could have any of their channel content used for training, Minton said, adding that the data collected will not be re-sold to other companies. During the same session, Mary Kish, head of community at Twitch, took viewers through a tutorial on how to disable generative AI training through a user's channel settings. Data collection for AI training has become an industry standard, Kish said. "We don't expect you to be happy or excited about this. I don't expect anyone to react to this favourably," she added. The stream's chat column was flooded with hundreds of comments from users criticising the move. One viewer wrote: "Nobody would opt in because nobody wants to feed AI with our creativity and content." Another said Twitch had an "opportunity to set an industry standard" to push back against data collection for AI. It is not clear when Amazon began collecting Twitch users' data to train its AI models. Minton said during the stream that he did not know if users' data had already been scraped for training, adding that he was unsure what Amazon "has done in terms of model training and what they've used and not used."

Amazon's Twitch is using livestreams to train its generative AI, and nobody's happy with it

Amazon indicated for the first time this week that any video broadcast via its livestreaming platform Twitch could be used to train generative AI, unless users take steps to avoid it, which has caused a significant backlash from both audiences and content creators. The story began with a post on the official Twitch Support account on X (formerly Twitter) which informed users of the existence of a new option on the Twitch dashboard. That option lets users opt out of Amazon using content on their channel to train generative AI. That, in turn, served as a couple of additional implicit announcements: Amazon intends to feed Twitch content into its generative AI models, and this option is enabled by default for all Twitch accounts.. You have to actively turn it off or anything you broadcast via Twitch could be fed into "generative AI content models at Amazon." According to Twitch's FAQ, the data gathered from Twitch may be used to train a future model "whose purpose is to generate or synthesize text, audio, images, or video." (To opt out of Amazon's training on your own Twitch channel, go to the Settings menu, look for the "Training for Generative AI" section under Security and Privacy, and turn it off. Don't be surprised if this takes more than one try, as several users have taken to social media to report that the training option likes to turn itself back on when you aren't looking.) A follow-up stream from Twitch's head of community, Mary Kish, poured some more gasoline on the flames. Kish aired a live interview with Mike Minton, chief product officer at Twitch, and Minton chose that moment to get uncommonly candid. In response to viewers demanding to know why the AI settings on Twitch weren't opt-in instead of opt-out, Minton said, "There's an honest answer, and I think most of you can probably appreciate this. If it was opt-in, nobody would opt in." Kish and Minton made an additional point of drawing a distinction between AI-powered features that are already on Twitch, such as auto-captions, and the unspecified models that Amazon plans to use Twitch data to train. "...I think our community has the reaction that I expected you guys to have, which is that you don't like this," Kish said. "Because this is industry standard, going other places [besides Twitch] won't absolve you of this... it's something that's happening on livestreaming communities across the space." Twitch came out of the 2020 lockdowns in a period of massive growth, and for several years, accounted for roughly 80 to 90% of online livestreaming. Since then, however, its market share has steadily eroded. According to a July report by the Kyiv-based analytics firm StreamsCharts, YouTube Live and TikTok Live have both overtaken Twitch's audience share, though Twitch does still handle nearly half of livestreamed video game content. That, in turn, brings up some of its own issues. "...It gets me really worried about all the elements I use in my streams," Lance Icarus, a Seattle-based gaming broadcaster, told GeekWire via Discord. "I play indie games that are proud to not be GenAI. Can I stream that game knowing I'm feeding that playthrough into a machine?" Icarus continued, "What about when I stream with guests? Some of them are voice talents who fought hard to gain rights against the very thing I'm asking them to do by streaming on our channel. I'm still trying to wrap my head around all the ramifications." Beyond the simple logistics, it's hard to overstate the degree of hostility that Amazon and Twitch are facing over this move, from both broadcasters and audience members. "They had to do it like this," Seattle-based Twitch streamer Will Overgard told GeekWire. "Generative AI doesn't make money, but selling data does. I guess they turned data collection on for everyone hoping enough people wouldn't know to turn it off or forget about it so they'd have something to flog." Kish noted during her Aug. 12 stream that Twitch and Amazon are watching the numbers to see how many broadcasters actively opt out of being used as training data. At time of writing, discussions are ongoing about what if any reaction this will draw from the creator community on Twitch, which still drives much of the platform's business. One step that's already been taken is that streamers have begun to tag their own broadcasts with "AIOptedOut" or "NoAI" to indicate their feelings on the matter. It's now a question of whether audiences will follow suit.

Twitch Adds Setting Letting Users Opt Out of AI Training Amid User Backlash

AI companies have already scraped much of the public internet to train their models. Now Amazon is turning to Twitch streamers. Twitch announced Wednesday that it is adding a new account setting that allows users to opt out of having content from their channels used to train parent company Amazon's generative AI models. The catch is the the setting is turned on by default. "Generative AI content models are AI tools that can help create or synthesize content outputs like text or images when given instructions or prompts because they are also trained on content," the company wrote in a support page about the setting. "When you allow training, that means that your content may be used for future Gen AI model improvements." Twitch says that content can include streams, VODs, clips, stream chats, and any images and text posted to a user's channel. For example, the company says that users' audio could be used to improve models that turn speech into text and potentially improve captions on Twitch and elsewhere on Amazon. The page also points out that opting out does not shut off every use of AI on Twitch. The platform can still use AI-powered features like AutoMod and caption generation, though Twitch says content used for those features will not be retained to train AI models. Backlash quickly follows announcement The decision to make the new setting opt-out rather than opt-in quickly drew backlash, as a post from Twitch announcing the change on X was bombarded with complaints from users. "It should be opt in by default you're banking on people forgetting about it to train the AI," wrote one user. "On by default is malicious of you, constantly disappointed with these decisions that go against the wishes of the community," wrote another. Twitch appears to have anticipated that reaction. The company hosted a livestream Wednesday to discuss the topic, where Chief Product Officer Mike Minton directly addressed why users were enrolled by default: "If this was opt-in, nobody would opt in. That's honestly the answer," said Minton. Still, exactly how long Amazon has been using Twitch content for AI training remains a bit murky. In 2024, The Information asked Minton, who was then Twitch's chief monetization officer, whether Amazon was using Twitch to train AI models. "Yeah, for sure," Minton answered. "I mean, I think obviously within the bounds of user trust, within the bounds of privacy regulations, which vary all around the world, but of course we have a role to play in that." Minton said at the time that Amazon was using Twitch content "in a prototyping, not in any kind of production scale, capacity." During this week's stream, however, Minton said he could not say whether users' content had already been used to train Amazon models. "I don't actually know the answer to that question, because I don't know what Amazon has done in terms of model training and what they've used and not used," he said. Twitch did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Twitch will train Amazon's AI on your streams unless you find the setting

The new setting lets streamers stop Amazon training on their content, and Twitch's product chief explained the default by saying nobody would ever choose it Twitch has added a setting letting streamers stop Amazon using their streams, clips and chat to train generative AI, buried in security settings and off by default. Chief product officer Mike Minton explained the default plainly, saying that if it were opt-in, nobody would opt in. Twitch has added a setting that stops Amazon training generative AI models on your content. It is off by default, which means the training is on. Chief product officer Mike Minton was asked why it works that way and answered directly: "If it was opt-in, nobody would opt in." Minton said it on a livestream this week alongside head of community Mary Kish, after streamer Zach Bussey found the toggle and the screenshot spread. He added that he is comfortable with AI training and would not opt out himself if he were a streamer. What is covered is close to everything. Streams, past broadcasts, clips, chat messages, and the images and text on a channel page. Twitch's own example is that a streamer's voice could train speech-to-text models, improving captions on Twitch and Amazon's AI products elsewhere. Chat is where the setting stops working. Opting out protects what happens on your channel, but messages you send in someone else's chat can still be collected if that streamer has not opted out. Gaps like that have pushed creators elsewhere before, to services built for human artists only. The framing that Twitch has just started doing this is not quite right. The toggle is new, not the practice. Asked whether their videos had already been used, Minton said he did not know what Amazon had done for model training, and the platform is reported to have been feeding the pipeline for a couple of years. Opting out also only stops training. AI keeps running on Twitch for chat moderation, ad selection and recommendations, and nothing in this change touches that. The setting sits at twitch.tv/settings/security. Asked on the same stream why Twitch had not simply emailed people about it, Kish said not everyone reads their emails. A default chosen because users would refuse it is the textbook definition of a dark pattern. What is unusual here is hearing an executive describe the reasoning without dressing it up. None of the coverage says how the default works in Europe. That matters, because opt-out consent for AI training has been challenged there before, and Meta had to pause an identical approach in 2024 before regulators let it resume.

Twitch streamers can now refuse to let Amazon train its genAI models on their content - Engadget

There's now an opt-out toggle for something that should have been opt-in to begin with. Twitch has updated its account settings to let streamers opt out of letting Amazon (Twitch's parent) train generative AI models on their content. Some may not have realized this setting was automatically enabled on their account -- which is deeply gross -- but at least they can now tell Amazon to shove it if they are anti-genAI or just don't want to let the company exploit their labor. A support page notes that, if a streamer opts out, their streams (and on-demand versions of those), clips, stream chats and any other text and images on their channel won't be fed into Amazon's models in the future. The purpose of these models, Twitch says, "is to generate or synthesize text, audio, images or video." Streamers' content may still be used for other AI- or machine learning-powered purposes, including automated captions. Twitch notes that its AutoMod tool doesn't retain users' data or tap into that to generate any material. It added that some of the AI functions help protect the whole community and "turning those off for one person would weaken safety and security for everyone else on the platform, so they are not individual settings." If you're a streamer and want to opt out of Amazon vacuuming up your content and shoving it into the gaping maws of its genAI models, you just have to visit your Twitch settings. You'll see a "Training for Generative AI" toggle you can disable. This will also explain that Twitch and Amazon can still use your channel's content for other AI-powered features. If you take part in another streamer's chat, their settings will dictate whether what you post there is used for genAI training.

Twitch is Mining Peoples' Streams to Train Amazon's AI

Here's how to opt out of Twitch's new generative AI training setting. Twitch is going to train Amazon's AI models on streamers' content unless they deliberately go into their settings and opt out, potentially sweeping up a wealth of streamers who either don't hear about the announcement or follow steps stop it. On Wednesday Twitch announced a new setting that lets streamers opt-out of the training. The announcement confirms rumors that have percolated over the last week: It is using streamers to train Amazon's AI models. The new toggle says, "Allow your channel content to train generative AI content models at Amazon." All users are opted in by default. It's located at the bottom of users' security settings page. "If you opt-out and decide to not allow your channel content to train Generative AI content models, your streams, VODs, clips, stream chats, and pictures and text on your channel will not be used in future training of a model developed by Amazon whose purpose is to generate or synthesize text, audio, images, or video," Twitch, which is owned by Amazon, says in its new FAQ section about generative AI. "Opting-out of training generative AI content models does not opt you out of all AI or machine learning uses at Twitch," Twitch's support page says. "For example, Twitch will still run AutoMod, which helps keep our community safe, but does not retain your data and use it to produce content. Twitch may also still use your data to run AI-supported features, like captions, which automatically generate captions for your Clips but does not retain your stream or your clips to train a model that can generate new content." Twitch is positioning this setting as a favor to users. "We've added a setting that lets you opt out of having your channel content used to train generative AI content models across Amazon," the platform posted on X Wednesday. In practice, Twitch makes this choice for users unless they know about the new setting and proactively turn it off. This was the case on my own Twitch account, and users on social media are reporting the same. Twitch executives have been talking about using streamers' content to train AI for years. In 2024, Twitch Chief Monetization Officer Mike Minton said Twitch has a "role to play" in training Amazon's generative AI models, adding that Twitch content was already being used "in a prototyping, not in any kind of production scale, capacity." Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Twitch's publicly available press email repeatedly bounced.

'This feels much more like Amazon forcing the issue on them' -- streamer sounds the alarm on Amazon using Twitch's content to train its AI models

We spoke to a Twitch streamer about this surprise development Twitch's community of streamers was none too pleased with the popular streaming service when it was revealed that it allowed their content to be used to train Amazon's AI models. And what made that shocking bit of news even more upsetting was the fact that those same users were automatically opted into that practice and have unknowingly been a part of that process for years now. It seems like the growing discontent towards this decision forced Twitch to add an option for content creators to opt out of having their channel used as a training tool for Amazon's generative AI. Twitch's FAQ page makes it clear that opting out means "streams, VODs, clips, stream chats, and pictures and text on your channel will not be used in future training of a model developed by Amazon whose purpose is to generate or synthesize text, audio, images, or video. And we're sure the streaming service's massive streamer community is flocking to this official Twitch settings page to make good use of that opt-out option. We reached out to Zach Bussey, TOS.gg a Twitch streamer who covers the streaming industry through his weekly creator newsletter, to get his thoughts on this surprising development. A decision that may be out of Twitch's hands When asked about Twitch's decision to let its content be used to train Amazon's AI models, Bussey stated that he thinks Amazon made that decision for them. "Twitch's decision here isn't really one I think they are making. Instead, this feels much more like Amazon forcing the issue on them," he noted. "The CPO, Mikey Minty, pretty clearly expressed that without overtly saying it on a stream an hour ago. The problem for Twitch is they have never been profitable and are at the whims of Amazon if they want to continue to be a platform. So it feels like they may have been able to negotiate that Opt-out option, but there was never really a choice about whether it would be implemented." As for the broader trend of tech companies using user-generated content to improve AI models, here's what else Bussey had to say: "The broader trend isn't great for creators, nor is it good for platforms, largely because AI perpetually, at best, makes slop consumable content. There's nothing great about it; it's just stuck in the middle as being, at best, average. Platforms have historically benefitted from startup creators who eventually became great creators. But the process to go from just getting started to being great takes time, effort, and a lot of learning. If they get flooded in the middle of their creator career by all the slop AI content, they'll never be able to achieve greatness. Effectively, we're diluting all these platforms and leaving them stuck in mediocrity. Do you really want to spend your time consuming things when everything is 'okay enough'?" Bussey recognizes Twitch's AI training method as the norm for similar creator platforms. And what's most interesting is that he says users on those platforms may not even be aware that it's happening to them yet. "Unfortunately, it likely is the norm across creator platforms, whether we know it or not: maybe first-party or a third party taking the data," he pointed out. "It's why I think it's incredibly important to have transparency and advocate for better regulation. At the very least, platforms should offer to pay creators for their data when they give creators the option to train on their content." Bottom line Bussey left us with this comment as to what AI as a whole could mean for streamers and their profession going forward: "For streamers, I don't think that AI is going to replace them if that's the question. In fact, I'd wager that live streaming will be the last holdout in the content creation space. In a world where you won't be able to trust that what you see in a YouTube video, a TikTok, or a Twitter post is real...a lot more people will be seeking out live content for the last reliable digital human experience." You can watch this clip from Bussey's Twitch channel to hear him provide more insight on the matter. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok.

Twitch is using your content to train Amazon's AI. Here's how to opt out.

Credit: Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Creating content on Twitch? Unless you've changed your settings, it's being used to train AI. Twitch creators recently spotted a "Training for Generative AI" setting in account security that's toggled on by default. "Allow your channel content to train generative AI content models at Amazon," the description reads. Needless to say, people weren't happy. Digging in to Amazon-owned Twitch's FAQs reveals a bit more information on what, exactly, this means. "Generative AI content models are AI tools that can help create or synthesize content outputs like text or images when given instructions or prompts because they are also trained on content," reads the FAQ. "When you allow training, that means that your content may be used for future Gen AI model improvements. An example of what happens when you allow your content to be used for training a GenAI content model is that your audio might help refine models that create speech to text, which would help improve captions at Twitch but would also help improve captions across Amazon." Addressing the backlash during a livestream on Wednesday, Twitch's chief product officer Mike Minton gave a slightly revealing answer to the question of why the option was switched on by defaul. "Well, there's an honest answer," Minton said, per Kotaku. "And I think most of you probably can appreciate this: If it was opt-in, nobody would opt-in. Um, that's honestly the answer. So it's going to be on by default." Mashable has reached out to Twitch for comment. How to opt out of training AI on Twitch The option to opt out of having your Twitch content used by Amazon to train generative AI is somewhat buried in the Settings. Click on your profile picture, then head to Settings, and then Security and Privacy. Here, you can find the Training for Generative AI toggle and switch it off. Twitch FAQs note that toggling off won't affect AI-supported features on your channel, such as captions and safety tools. Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts.

'If it was opt in, nobody would opt in': Amazon's AI is being trained on your Twitch streams unless you turn it off -- here's how to stop it

* Twitch has revealed that user streams are training Amazon's AI * You have to actively opt out to prevent this from happening * The community has reacted with fury over the move If there's one thing a sizeable proportion of the population hates more than artificial intelligence (AI), it's being opted in to having their data automatically fed into an AI for training. Yet that's exactly what's going to happen to your Twitch streams unless you specifically opt out. The issue came to light when the official @TwitchSupport posted on X to explain that "We've added a setting that lets you opt out of having your channel content used to train generative AI content models across Amazon." According to an FAQ on Twitch's account settings support page, data used for training AI includes "Your stream and the stream's chat, your VODs, your Clips, Highlights, and any text or images on your Channel." Notably, neither the @TwitchSupport post nor Twitch's FAQ provided steps on how you can opt out. If you want to do that, you'll need to click on your Twitch profile picture and go to Settings > Security and Privacy, then untick the toggle next to Training for Generative AI near the bottom of the page. It's worth being aware that opting out of AI training does not mean you won't see any AI features on Twitch. The website says that it "may also still use your data to run AI-supported features," including captioning, while other AI tools like AutoMod will still function for safety and security reasons. However, the difference is that these AI features do not retain and use your streams to generate new content. As well as that, Twitch warns that "If you chat on someone else's stream, their opt-out preferences govern if that chat can be used for training." So even opting your own stream out doesn't necessarily mean that you'll be spared from feeding Amazon's AI when you visit another user's page. A highly divisive move It's safe to say that this move has not gone down well with Twitch users. One Redditor branded it "absolutely disgusting," adding that there are "over 13,000 votes on their uservoice thread saying no to this, and they still made it on by default." Other people speculated that this might have been a move forced on Twitch by its owner Amazon. Popular Twitch streamer AnEternalEnigma commented on Reddit to say that the AI training move was made "because it was Daddy Amazon's decision. Not Twitch's. I know for a fact multiple people at Twitch internally fought against this and fought for the opt-out button." A recent recording of a discussion between Mike Minton, Twitch's Chief Product Officer, and Twitch's Head of Community Mary Kish lent some weight to this argument. In explaining why AI training is not opt in, Minton said bluntly that "if it was opt in, nobody would opt in." In a revealing comment, Minton then added: "I know this is not a fan favorite. I know it's very upsetting to the community. But this is where we are." That doesn't exactly sound like a ringing endorsement of a feature that Minton is excited about, and the "but this is where we are" admission seems to imply that the decision was out of his hands. Kish later commented to say: "The opt out numbers will help us continue to reiterate that our community is not receptive of AI in any form. I'm sorry but I am reading your comments and do hear you." If you watch the video and read Kish's words, it seems clear that neither Minton nor Kish were keen on the decision to make AI training opt out instead of opt in. As Kish said during the livestream discussion, "We don't expect you to be happy or excited about this. I don't expect anyone to react to this favorably." If you don't want your Twitch streams to be vacuumed up and fed into Amazon's AI algorithm, make sure you opt out in your Twitch settings as soon as you can. And while you're at it, it would be a good idea to check any accounts you have at other AI companies to ensure your data is not being treated in a similar way. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

Twitch opts all streamers into Amazon AI training by default

Twitch enrolled all of its streamers in a program that lets parent company Amazon $AMZN use their channel content to train generative AI models, with creators automatically opted in unless they take steps to disable the setting. During a livestream on the official Twitch channel Wednesday, chief product officer Mike Minton faced questions about the opt-out design head-on, giving a blunt rationale: "If this was opt-in, nobody would opt in. That's honestly the answer," he said. Content eligible for collection includes streams, clips, images, and chat logs, Minton said. Amazon will not resell the data to other companies, he added. Minton gave a concrete example of how the data might be used: a creator's audio could help refine speech-to-text models, which would in turn improve automatic subtitles on Twitch and Amazon video. Minton said he did not know whether Amazon had already used any Twitch content for model training. Twitch head of community Mary Kish, who appeared alongside Minton on the livestream, said the opt-out option itself was a concession to the platform's creator base. "We don't expect you to be happy or excited about this. I don't expect anyone to react to this favourably," she said. Kish framed the policy as consistent with what other platforms already do, citing Meta $META as an example of a company that draws on public content from its own services for AI model development. The livestream drew nearly 3,000 viewers, many of whom posted criticism in the chat throughout, according to TechCrunch. Several users complained that the setting had reverted to enabled after they had already turned it off, according to the BBC. To remove themselves from the program, creators need to open their Streamer Dashboard, select the Security and Privacy tab, find the "training for Generative AI" toggle near the bottom of the page, and switch it off. The Twitch dispute is part of a broader conflict between creative workers and AI developers over the use of digital content for model training. Writers, visual artists, and musicians have filed a series of copyright lawsuits against AI companies, arguing their work was used without consent or compensation -- a pattern that has left creators competing against systems built on their own labor. Amazon acquired Twitch for close to $1 billion in 2014 and has since poured resources into AI as part of its effort to keep pace with rivals such as Google $GOOGL and Meta.

Twitch is using your streams to train Amazon's AI, and you're opted in by default

Turns out your favorite stream might secretly be teaching Amazon's AI a thing or two. Twitch has quietly started feeding your streams, VODs, and clips into Amazon's AI training pipeline, and the opt-out button is tucked so deep in your settings that most people will never stumble on it. As Kotaku reports, streaming reporter Zach Bussey spotted a new toggle inside Twitch's account settings on August 12 that lets you block your content from training Amazon's generative AI tools. The screenshot spread quickly, and so did the direct link to the exact settings page, mostly because Twitch never bothered to announce the change in the first place. What happens if you don't opt out? Leave the setting untouched, and Twitch can use nearly everything tied to your channel: streams, VODs, clips, chat messages, even images and text on your page, to train Amazon's AI models. Twitch's own example is that your voice could help train speech-to-text models, improving captions on Twitch while also boosting Amazon's AI products elsewhere. And here's the worst part: even if you personally opt out, chatting on someone else's stream who hasn't means your messages still get scooped up. Why is opting out buried so deep? Twitch's head of community Mary Kish and chief product officer Mike Minton tried to address the backlash on a livestream this week, and Minton's explanation for making this opt-out instead of opt-in was surprisingly honest and a little scary. He admitted that if Twitch made it opt-in, basically nobody would agree, so the company just turned it on for everyone by default. Minton also cited a stat claiming half of all adults now use AI tools like ChatGPT, and said he personally wouldn't opt out if he were a streamer. When someone in chat asked why Twitch didn't just email users about the change, Kish brushed it off, saying creators don't always check their inbox anyway. Recommended Videos This is a classic dark pattern, where companies quietly make changes to your account and hope you won't notice. If you'd rather keep your content out of Amazon's AI training, head to your Twitch security settings and flip the toggle yourself. Just don't expect Twitch to make that easy to find.

AppleInsider.com

Twitch now lets streamers block Amazon from using their broadcasts, clips, and other channel content to train generative AI. However, it's opt out, so here's how to do that. The Amazon-owned streaming service announced the AI training opt-out on August 12. Users can find it under Security and Privacy in Twitch account settings, where it's labeled "Training for Generative AI." Turning off the setting prevents Amazon from using a channel's streams, videos on demand, clips, highlights, chat, text, and images to train future models. Twitch says the opt-out covers Amazon models that generate or synthesize text, audio, images, or video. The setting applies only to future training. Twitch hasn't said whether Amazon has already trained models with content from the platform or whether opting out affects material used before the change. Viewers also can't control how their messages are handled when they chat in someone else's stream. The channel owner's setting determines whether messages posted there can be used for training. The switch doesn't turn off every form of AI Opting out of generative AI training won't stop Twitch from using AI for other parts of the service. The company can still process content for captions, recommendations, sponsorship tools, streamer growth and monetization features, and safety systems such as AutoMod. Twitch says those tools perform specific tasks without retaining channel content to train models that produce new videos, images, or text. The company distinguishes them from generative AI models that learn from user content to create new material. Some features, including AutoMod and captions, have their own controls. Twitch won't let individual users disable AI systems that operate or secure the service because it says doing so could weaken safety for everyone. The new switch is an opt-out from one specific type of AI training, not all AI use on Twitch. Even after users turn it off, Twitch and Amazon can process their content for the other purposes described in Twitch's privacy notice. How to stop Twitch from training generative AI Twitch places the opt-out near the bottom of its security settings, but turning it off takes only a few steps. How technology companies obtain creators' work for AI training has become a growing source of legal fights. A group of YouTube channels brought scraping claims against Apple in April, while Apple argued in a July dismissal bid that it could lawfully access publicly available videos. Twitch's announcement and FAQ don't name the Amazon models that could use the content. They also don't say whether training has begun or how much Twitch material Amazon may have already collected.

Twitch Turns On Amazon AI Training by Default: 'Nobody Would Opt In'

Turning it off does not stop Twitch using channel content for captions, recommendations, moderation and other AI features. Twitch has started allowing Amazon to train generative AI models on the work of the people who stream on it, with the setting enabled by default. The Amazon-owned platform announced the change on Wednesday as the addition of a control, telling users it had added a setting that lets them opt out of having channel content used to train generative AI models across Amazon. The framing carried the news that the training was happening at all, though streamers had reported in late July that "multiple sources" had told them the move was imminent. Everything on a channel is in scope, with streams, videos on demand, clips, highlights, chat, text and images all usable to train models whose purpose, in Twitch's words, is to generate or synthesize text, audio, images or video. Its own FAQ offers the example of a streamer's audio being used to refine speech-to-text models, improving captions on Twitch and across Amazon. The toggle, labeled "Training for Generative AI," sits under Security and Privacy at the bottom of the account settings page. 'Nobody would opt in' Head of community Mary Kish and chief product officer Mike Minton took questions on the company's own channel on Wednesday, to an audience of nearly 3,000 and a chat filling with anti-AI messages. Asked why the setting was not opt-in, Minton answered plainly: "If it was opt-in, nobody would opt in. That's honestly the answer." Asked by a user whether their videos had already been used for training, Minton said he did not actually know, because he did not know what Amazon had done in terms of model training or what it had and had not used. Kish said she had personally opted out, and described the control itself as a response to a community that does not want its work training generative models. Minton said he was comfortable with the training and would not opt out were he a streamer. Pressed on what happens to someone who has opted out but appears in the stream of someone who has not, Minton had no answer beyond calling it a "good question," according to Kotaku, though the FAQ published alongside the change states that the streamer's preference governs whether a viewer's chat can be used. He confirmed there are no plans to let users see which channels are opted in. Opting out is also narrower than it sounds, since Twitch can still run AutoMod and generate captions, which it says do not retain content to train models that produce new material. Some of those functions protect the whole platform, the company says, so turning them off for one person is not offered. The change lands as AI companies run short of training material and turn to the platforms they already own. TechCrunch noted that thousands of hours of a streamer's recorded voice and face make Twitch an unusually rich source, and that many creators may hand it over without realizing.

Twitch sparks gamers' wrath with Amazon AI sharing deal

Paris (France) (AFP) - Livestream gaming giant Twitch has raised hackles among its millions of users after declaring it will share their data with its parent company Amazon, to better train the online retailer's AI models. In a post on X, Twitch said people would have the option to opt out of the data-sharing, but otherwise the live audio, text, images and other content on its channels would be used by Amazon for AI training across all its platforms. Twitch's move opens the latest front in the fight to preserve online privacy as artificial intelligence firms increasingly seek data to improve their models. "An honest answer is: if it was opt-in, nobody would opt-in," Twitch's chief product officer Mike Minton said Wednesday during a live chat on the hugely popular gaming platform after the announcement. "It's going to be on by default, and in almost every content service in the world, it is on by default," he added. "I know it's very upsetting to the community, but this is where we are." Gamers were quick to slam the policy as an unethical incursion on their privacy. "Opting people in by default is not consent," a user said in one of the tamer responses to Twitch's announcement on X. "Pay us for our services then with this AI training," added another user. Amazon and Twitch are not the first to start absorbing user data to build AI models as competition in the sector heats up. Last year Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said all public comment on its platforms, with the exception of WhatsApp, would be used to train its AI models -- unless users opted out.

As community outrage builds, Twitch is training AI on livestreams, says it's an opt out feature - because "nobody would opt in"

Twitch - the popular gaming and IRL streaming platform - has announced it'll start training generative AI models on those livestreaming on the platform. This was immediately faced with pushback from the community of streamers and their communities. On the Twitch uservoice page, request to make these AI features optional is far-and-away the most popular request. One of the major demands following the announcement was why this feature was on by default, forcing users to manually go into the settings to opt out from generative AI training. In an attempt to address the decision and interact with the community in-general, chief product officer Mike Minton and head of community Mary Kish sat down for a live Q&A last night. During this stream, Minton was asked why it was an opt-out feature, to which he offered a frank response. they know we don't want it. they do not care. [image or embed] -- TQ 🌿 ( @witchytq.bsky.social) August 12, 2026 at 8:25 PM "Why is it not opt in, that's what everyone here is spamming in chat, I get it. ''Let me opt in, rather than opt out'. There's an honest answer, and I think most of you can appreciate this: if it was opt in, nobody would opt in. "So it's going to be on by default, and almost every content service in the world is on by default, and the thing we're doing here that is unique is different is respecting your wishes to opt out of model training. I know this is not a fan favourite, I know it's very upsetting to the community, but this is where we are." This did little to calm complaints, though the straightforward and frank nature of the statement was appreciated by some. It sounds as though this is a push from higher-ups at Amazon, a company that has been bullish on generative AI for many years now. This approach to embracing generative AI has impacted other parts of the company too. Amazon Game Studios, prior to mass layoffs which gutted the developer, was working on a generative AI game which was ultimately cancelled when all the developers were let go. Whether Twitch keeps this generative AI training implemented as is, or if it'll concede to community demands to remove it (or make it opt-in) is the big question. Twitch isn't the only big player in the livestreaming space anymore - so perhaps pressure from competitors will be what decides how it works with generative AI in the future.

Twitch under fire for new gen AI training system that harvests streamer data for Amazon, says it's on by default because 'if it was opt-in, nobody would opt in'

Streams, VODs, comments, and pretty much everything else will go into the gen AI training machine, unless streamers choose to opt out. Twitch has revealed that it is now using content in streams "to train generative AI content models across Amazon," and making matters worse, everyone is opted into the training program by default. Rumors of an AI training program have been kicking around for at least a few weeks now -- streamer Zach Bussey posted about it on Bluesky back in July -- but it was confirmed today, very indirectly, by a Twitch Support announcement on X of a setting that lets streamers opt out. That, naturally, means the default setting is opted-in, which has not gone over well: Responses to the message on X are predominantly either explanations of how to turn AI training off, or enthusiastic f-bombing. A Twitch User Voice thread on the topic, originally posted in May, calling for all AI features to be "optional and opt-out by default," has exploded to 228 pages, and nearly 14,000 votes in favor, as I write this. As for why the new generative AI training system is opt-in by default, Twitch chief product officer Mike Minton gave an unexpectedly honest answer during a livestream today, and by extension confirmed that Twitch is well aware of how people really feel about it: "If it was opt-in, nobody would opt in." So, credit for at least being straight about it, I suppose. they know we don't want it. they do not care. -- @witchytq.bsky.social ( @witchytq.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-08-12T22:17:07.747Z It's not particularly difficult to opt out of Twitch's generative AI training scheme. Just go to the "security and privacy" tab in your Twitch settings, then scroll down to the bottom where you'll see the "Training for Generative AI" toggle. Click that (and I would strongly encourage you to do so), and you're done. The problem is that ease of use does no good if people don't know it's there, and Twitch does not seem to be making great efforts to ensure everyone is aware of it. Revealing the new system through a post about a related feature on the Twitch Support channel rather than a conventional announcement on the Twitch Blog is hardly a high-visibility way to get the word out, and a response to a more recent post by Bussey about the feature muddied the waters by saying "Twitch is not training GenAI models on streamer content." But Twitch's own account settings FAQ indicates that's exactly what it's doing. Under the question "What are 'generative AI content models,' and what does it mean for my content to be used to train them?" Twitch wrote: "Generative AI content models are AI tools that can help create or synthesize content outputs like text or images when given instructions or prompts because they are also trained on content. When you allow training, that means that your content may be used for future Gen AI model improvements. An example of what happens when you allow your content to be used for training a GenAI content model is that your audio might help refine models that create speech to text, which would help improve captions at Twitch but would also help improve captions across Amazon." That seems clear enough, so what does that statement on X mean? My best guess is that Twitch is trying to claim that Amazon is using streamer content to train generative AI models, not Twitch itself -- a distinction completely without a difference given that Twitch is part of Amazon. I've reached out to Twitch to ask for clarification. The FAQ also notes that opting out of generative AI training "does not opt you out of all AI or machine learning uses at Twitch." The platform can still use your data, including streams, VODs, and all the rest, for "AI-supported features" like auto-generated captions, although that is not retained to train models that can generate new content. This is hardly Twitch's first big botch. If anything, the platform has been a hotbed of bad decisions over the years, on topics ranging from sexual content to Donald Trump, Palestine, "politics and sensitive social issues," and when you can and can't say "Zionist" -- and that's just within the past three years. But this move could be more impactful than most: Mike Futter, co-founder and analyst at game consultancy F-Squared, said Twitch's new generative AI training system has potentially far deeper consequences for streamers than might be immediately apparent: "What happens if a creator streams your game and is opted in? Does Twitch think it has the right to feed a developer's game into its AI slop factory?" What happens if a creator streams your game and is opted in? Does Twitch think it has the right to feed a developer's game into its AI slop factory? This has deeper ramifications than it seems on the surface. -- @futterish.fsquared.biz ( @futterish.fsquared.biz.bsky.social) 2026-08-12T22:17:07.463Z "I think a lot of studios are going to be talking to their lawyers over the next couple of days," Futter told PC Gamer. "For those of us who have avoided AI like the plague, this is a clear and present danger to our businesses and our creative work. "In a period where our industry needs as much support as possible, especially from the companies that use our content every day to enrich themselves, this reads as extremely hostile." "We're a staunchly anti-AI studio, and this now creates a real threat to our creative work," added Futter, who's also director of operations and publishing at indie developer Causeway Studios. And while he thinks Twitch and Amazon will face some pushback from game makers over its gen AI training plan, "this is David and Goliath. We're going to need a critical mass of studios and creators to be loud about this." Given Twitch's history of switchbacks, I wouldn't be surprised to see this new feature dropped because of the backlash -- but given Amazon's determined embrace of generative AI, I also would be surprised by it. Either way, the bottom line at this point is that the new generative AI training model is a mess for Twitch on multiple levels, and it seems more likely to get worse than to go away anytime soon.

Twitch opts streamers into gen AI training by default, faces harsh backlash

Twitch has added a new feature that automatically opts streamers into generative AI training, allowing all channel content like streams, clips, and even user chats to be used for AI training. Twitch and Amazon are facing strong backlash from the gaming community due to their new controversial use of AI tech. Amazon is using Twitch to train generative AI based off of user-created content, including streams, videos, and live viewer chat interactions. It's an opt-out feature, meaning it's on by default and streamers have to go into Twitch settings and opt out. "Your stream and the stream's chat, your VODs, your Clips, Highlights, and any text or images on your Channel may be used," Twitch says. As for an explanation on why this is happening, Twitch chief product officer Mike Minton gave a frank response: "There's an honest answer, one I think most of you could probably appreciate: if it was opt-in, nobody would opt in. That's honestly the answer," Minton said in a recent stream. "I know that this is not a fan favorite, I know that this is upsetting to the community, but this is where we are." "There's an honest answer, one I think most of you could probably appreciate: if it was opt-in, nobody would opt in. That's honestly the answer. It's going to be on by default and almost every content service is on by default, I think the thing we're doing here that is unique and different is respecting your wishes to opt out of model training." There's more; Twitter community notes clarify that the setting is not universal on a user level. This means that even if you have AI training turned off for your stream, your chat sessions will still be used for training if you join another streamer's chat who has not opted out. "If you chat on someone else's stream, their opt-out preferences govern if that chat can be used for training," Twitch notes in its help section.

Twitch lets streamers opt out of generative AI training

Twitch has added an account setting that lets streamers opt out of having Amazon use their content to train generative AI models. The setting covers streams, archived on-demand videos, clips, stream chats, and other text and images on a channel, according to a Twitch support page. Twitch said content from streamers who disable the "Training for Generative AI" toggle will not be used for future training of generative AI models. The company said those models are intended "to generate or synthesize text, audio, images or video." The setting had previously been enabled by default, allowing content to be used unless streamers turned it off. Twitch said streamers' content may still be used for other artificial intelligence or machine learning functions, including automated captions. The company also said some AI functions cannot be disabled on an individual basis because they are used for platform-wide safety and security. Twitch said its AutoMod moderation tool does not retain users' data or use that data to generate material for generative AI purposes. Streamers can change the setting in their Twitch account controls by disabling the "Training for Generative AI" option. Twitch also said chat messages posted in another streamer's channel are governed by that channel owner's setting on generative AI training.

Amazon is training AI on Twitch streams unless you opt out

Twitch just started letting Amazon use your streams, clips, and chat messages to train its AI models. The company didn't make much noise about it, and it's not hard to see why. What's also worrying is how Twitch opted everyone in automatically, and the only way out is a setting most people would never find on their own. If you have a Twitch account, this affects you. It doesn't matter if you stream every day or just hang out in someone else's chat. Amazon can now pull from your videos, clips, and messages to build its AI tools. You have to dig up the switch yourself to stop it. A streamer named Zach Bussey posted a screenshot of the new option on August 12. Twitch confirmed the change the same day. But Twitch's own announcement never actually said Amazon would start training AI on user content. It was framed as adding an "opt out" option instead. That left some streamers wondering if their old videos had already made it into Amazon's hands. Why is the setting hidden instead of upfront? Twitch's chief product officer, Mike Minton, gave a blunt answer during a livestream where the company addressed the backlash. Someone in chat asked why the setting wasn't opt-in from the start. "If this was opt-in, nobody would opt in," Minton said. "That's honestly the answer. So it's going to be on by default." The setting covers more than video. Twitch says it can use streams, past broadcasts, clips, chat messages, images, and text from a channel to feed Amazon's models. Turning it off won't fully protect you either. Chat in someone else's stream, and your messages can still get used if that streamer left their own setting on. Twitch isn't the only company doing this. Meta has faced similar backlash for training AI on public Facebook and Instagram posts, and most users there don't have a simple way to opt out either. So, what do you do if you want out? It's pretty simple. Just log into your Twitch account, click your profile picture, and go to Settings. Select Security and Privacy, scroll to the bottom, and turn off "Training for Generative AI." You only have to flip the switch once, and it covers both the website and the mobile app.

Streamers Are Telling Twitch How Much They Hate That Generative AI Training Is Opt-Out By Default - Kotaku

Yesterday, the Twitch streaming community got wind of the news that Twitch would be using their content to train Amazon's AI models, and they didn't get that news in the most upfront way. Instead of making a formal announcement that their content would be used in this way and giving creators the choice of whether to allow this, Twitch enabled it by default on streamers' accounts and quietly buried the option to turn it off deep in the platform's security settings. In a livestream discussing the AI training program and responding to community questions and concerns, Twitch chief product officer Mike Minton made a stunning admission when asked why it was something users had to opt out of, rather than something they could choose to opt into. "If it was opt-in, nobody would opt in. Um, that's honestly the answer. So it's going to be on by default." Gamers do not like generative AI. People who make games do not like generative AI. And guess what? Twitch is finding out in real time that streamers who play video games also do not like generative AI. Social media is full of posts from streamers angry that their content is being used to train AI the fact that it's on by default. The move has been called deceptive because a streamer isn't likely to disable something they're not even aware of. Streamers are fighting back in whatever ways they can. The biggest way is simply letting people know what's happening and how to find the setting to shut it off. One frustrating element of this decision is that opting out only works for a user's specific channel. Even if you disable it on your own channel, if you then go into the chat of another streamer who hasn't disabled the setting, anything in that chat can be used to train AI. So streamers have gotten creative, making a specific tag, "aioptedout," to let the AI-avoidant user know their channels are safe to chat in. Streamers are also using Twitch's feedback forum to make their voices heard. Under the "Creators and Stream Features" category, the top suggestion is "Make all AI features optional and opt-out by default." (They meant opt-in.) At the time of writing, it currently has 15,714 votes. AI is everywhere now, but at least throughout the gaming community, players are letting folks know loudly that this shit ain't it. And if they keep letting them know, things might change.

Twitch Is Now Using Your Content To Train Amazon AI Models And Has Hidden The Option To Opt Out

For now at least, you can stop Amazon from using your streams and chat to train its generative AI tools It appears Twitch has quietly started using content created by streamers, like VODs and livestreams, to help train Amazon AI models. And the only way to opt out of your content being used this way is to dig through your account's security settings to find a toggle buried inside. On August 12, content creator and streaming reporter Zach Bussey posted a screenshot of what appears to be a newly added option on Twitch to allow users to opt out of having their content and videos used to train future Amazon-created AI models and generative AI tools. The screenshot quickly went viral, as did Bussey's link to the specific settings submenu within your Twitch account where you can find this AI training opt-out toggle. It appears this was added very recently and without any real warning or notice. If you don't opt out using this hard-to-find setting, Twitch will be able to use your channel's content to "train generative AI content models at Amazon." Twitch also clarified that turning off this setting will not block AI-powered features on Twitch, including auto-commenting, ad selection, and chat moderation tools. During a stream addressing the situation on Wednesday, Twitch's head of community, Mary Kish, tried to downplay Twitch's use of AI and claimed that the reason people can't opt out of all of Twitch's AI features is that she doesn't think Twitch "can function without some forms of AI." Kotaku has reached out to Twitch for more information. On a Twitch FAQ page about generative AI training, the streaming company provides a possible example of what happens if you do allow Amazon to train its AI models using your content: "An example of what happens when you allow your content to be used for training a GenAI content model is that your audio might help refine models that create speech to text, which would help improve captions at Twitch but would also help improve captions across Amazon." This same FAQ page also makes it clear that every part of a Twitch channel can be used for training Amazon AI models. This includes streams, VODs, clips, chats, pictures, and text on your channel. Twitch also says that if you opt out but chat in the stream of someone else who hasn't opted out, that material of yours can be used for AI training. Fun stuff! It isn't surprising that Amazon, one of the tech giants desperate to win the "AI WAR," would start tapping into Twitch to help it further train its genAI models and tools. Many of these companies are desperate for more content to feed to their AI machines as they burn through everything available online and in libraries and bookstores. At least for now, you can opt out. But how long will Amazon let users opt out for before it decides it wants everything on Twitch fed into its AI models as it competes with ChatGPT, Google, and others?

Twitch lets Amazon use streamer content to train AI by default

Twitch has confirmed that content uploaded by streamers can be used to train Amazon's generative AI models. The policy covers streams, stream chats, VODs, Clips, Highlights, and text and images on channels. However, creators must actively opt out if they do not want their content to be used for future training. The move has drawn criticism from streamers, particularly because the setting is enabled by default. Twitch Support said on August 12 that creators could opt out of having their channel content used to train generative AI models across Amazon. Twitch executives later addressed the backlash during a livestream. Mike Minton acknowledged that an opt-in system would likely see little participation. "If it's opt-in, nobody would opt-in," he said. Twitch's head of community, Mary Kish, said, "We don't expect you to be happy or excited about this. I don't expect anyone to react to this favourably." Kish added that opting out would prevent content from being used for future training. However, the setting does not cover every AI or machine-learning system used by Twitch. The platform will continue to use tools such as AutoMod and AI-supported features such as captions. Streamers link decision to Amazon: Several Twitch streamers and VTubers have linked the AI training policy to Amazon's control over Twitch. Game developer and Twitch streamer Pirate Software wrote that "this situation shows that Twitch is not in control of its own course moving forward and Amazon is." He said harvesting data for generative AI training was not in Twitch's interest and claimed Amazon was "forcing this action against their wishes". Pirate Software also compared Twitch with Kick, saying Kick's CEO had stated that the platform had no agreement with AI companies to use content for training. Meanwhile, EN VTuber Ky wrote: "I feel somewhat bad for Twitch cause I know Amazon basically forced this on them and they're all in on AI." Indie VTuber Shyphlosion also argued that Twitch made the setting opt-out because an opt-in system would attract little participation. Backlash from the community: Twitch streamers and VTubers have also criticised Twitch over the default setting, with some discussing leaving the platform. VTuber Shinnya said they wanted time "to reflect on where to migrate from Twitch" because they did not agree with the policy. VTuber and creator Millie The Kaiju called for VTuber artists to consider legal action against Amazon over what she described as copyright infringement. Shinnya also said their stream was cancelled while they took time to consider their options. Meanwhile, VTuber Nanosnaker questioned whether Twitch had already been using streamer content for AI training before publicly introducing the opt-out setting.

Twitch AI Training: How Streamers Can Opt Out of Amazon Using Their Content?

Streamers must manually disable the toggle in their dashboard, and even then, chat in someone else's channel stays governed by that channel owner's setting. Twitch has made millions of streamers' content available for a new Amazon AI training use by default. The platform switched on a setting that allows livestreams, archived videos, clips, chat logs, and channel images to be used for training Amazon's generative AI models, and it did so without asking anyone first. Twitch framed the announcement as a gift: a new setting that lets creators opt out. The messaging obscured the more uncomfortable fact underneath it, which is that the opt-out only exists because opt-in would have failed. Chief Product Officer Mike Minton said as much during an August 12 livestream watched by nearly three thousand people. Asked why the company did not simply let streamers choose to join, Minton answered plainly: "If this was opt-in, nobody would opt in. That's honestly the answer." That admission turned a routine settings update into a case study on consent design.

Twitch Now Trains Amazon's Generative AI Models On Your Channel By Default - Here's How To Turn It Off

Twitch has rolled out a new "feature" that trains Amazon's generative AI content models on its users' channels. The setting can be disabled, but it's turned on by default. "Allow your channel content to train generative AI content models at Amazon," reads the setting, which is buried in your user settings and is enabled by default. To disable the setting, navigate to the Security and Privacy tab of your Twitch user settings and uncheck the "Training for Generative AI" toggle. This will disable Twitch from using your channel content to train Amazon's AI models on that content, but does not opt you out of Amazon using your channel content for other uses, per the Twitch Privacy Notice. While it's easy enough to disable, having this setting turned on by default is a slap in the face for users who don't want anything to do with generative AI. Notably, the top post on the Feature Requests section of Twitch's User Voice forums is an ask to make all AI features optional and opted out of by default. That post has more than 13,000 votes and 4,000 comments in support, compared to around 250 votes for the next three highest-voted suggestions. This comes as generative AI features (and the slop they churn out) seem to be worming their way into every aspect of our digital lives. Things have gotten so bad that Linkedin recently rolled out a feature to report content that carried the stink of AI slop. Meanwhile, the datacenter infrastructure buildout to support and run these AI tools is the primary cause of the ongoing RAM crisis that has driven up the price of gaming hardware. AI is a bad deal for gamers that we didn't ask for - if we did, companies wouldn't have to make their sloppy "features" enabled by default.

Twitch now lets Amazon train AI on your content: it's on by default

Twitch has changed its privacy settings. There's now a Generative AI Training option, switched on by default, that allows Amazon to use Twitch channel content to train models unless creators turn it off themselves. If you want to disable it, the path is Settings > Security and Privacy > Generative AI Training. If you stream on Twitch, go look at that setting. You can opt out there, but Twitch also says opting out doesn't stop other uses already covered by Twitch's Privacy Notice. That's the part creators are hung up on, because the wording seems broad enough to reach live streams, VODs, clips, posts, and possibly chat too, which means real-time community activity could be part of it. The backlash on Twitch's forums has been big: more than 16,000 creators have objected. It got sharper after Twitch executive Mike Minton said that if the company used opt-in instead, "nobody would opt in." Twitch still hasn't clearly answered some basic questions, including whether chat logs are part of this, when the practice started, how authorship, consent, and attribution are supposed to work, or whether affiliates, partners, and sublicensees also benefit from it. And opting out doesn't close the whole door. Twitch says your content may still be used for sponsorship assistance, recommendation and discovery tools, and moderation systems such as Twitch AutoMod. With about 7.3 million monthly streamers and 240 million active users in early 2026, that matters beyond Twitch itself, especially as regulators in the EU and Canada look into opt-out data collection under GDPR-style rules after similar fights involving Meta and Google. You can turn it off on Twitch.

Twitch trains Amazon's AI with our videos: now we can prevent it

A new setting blocks livestreams, VODs, clips, chats and images. Amazon has been training its AI with the videos we publish on Twitch for years. Now, the company has added a setting that lets us decide whether we want to hand over our channel's content for that purpose. The setting covers livestreams, VODs, and clips, but also chats, images, and text. Twitch has been using our content for a while, now we can decide According to Ars Technica, Amazon has been using Twitch content to train its AI at least since 2024. While Meta gave us a system to opt out of its AI training a little more than a couple of years ago, and OpenAI has reportedly been using YouTube videos to train ChatGPT, we've talked on more than one occasion about how to remove our data from the AI systems used by OpenAI, Slack, Adobe, and Google, among others. Now, we have to talk about Twitch. How to exclude our channel from Amazon's AI training Twitch has decided to put the setting in our account's security settings. The process takes only a few seconds. Here are the steps: * Open the Twitch page and sign in. * Tap our profile picture and go to Settings. * We open the Security and Privacy section. * Scroll down to the Training for Generative AI section. * Disable Allow your channel content to train generative AI content models at Amazon. Done. With this setting, our livestreams and the rest of our channel content are excluded from future training for Amazon's generative models. Note the word "future" here. Of course, this setting is independent of various AI-assisted features, such as AutoMod or recommendations.