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Comment by johnfn | Hacker News Reader

I don't get this. Obviously Figma already stored all your designs in their cloud. What's the additional problem with also getting AI suggestions back from Figma?

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The problem is when other people are getting 'AI suggestions' based on your work. What if you don't own the copyright for the work you're producing (it's for a client)? What if you don't what AI being trained on your data?

By default, Figma will not using organizations' data to train.

But only for organisation and enterprise plans!

> Starting today, admins can set that content data training preference directly in settings, across all plans.

> -Starter and Professional plans are opted in by default, but can opt out.

> - Organization and Enterprise plans are opted out by default.

Figma is explicit about this:

> Two important highlights: First, all admins have control of whether their team’s content data is used for training. Second, participation in AI content training is not required to use Figma or Figma’s AI features. Learn more about our approach to training.

Blanket bans on third party AI tools don't make any sense to me. As the parent commenter said, they already have all your data, so you already have to trust them with that. Why would you trust them in those other areas but not trust their explicit statements that say that you can disable training on your data?

If Figma takes a little inspiration from Adobe (they were almost acquired at one point after all) they'll realize they can change their TOS at any time for any reason with impunity. Such statements are at best dubious and at worst complete unprovable bullshit.

The only way to be sure your data stays yours is local models running on your machines.

This applies to all non self hosted software and even much self hosted software that radios out invasive telemetry. The difference between offering an AI feature or not offering it is time, but collecting your data as training for that eventually inevitable AI feature is happening now, everywhere, all the time. The only defense is retreat into a SKIF or depend on ToS, and as you point out ToS is a very weak defense. Things are moving considerably faster than law, regulation, judicial review, and establishment of a compliance framework can possibly accommodate.

Welcome to the future you were promised! It’s already too late.

> Blanket bans on third party AI tools don't make any sense to me

It's an easy, safe and secure default.

I agree with this, I think I was just interpreting "ban" differently. I.e. if the default is you can't use it, but then there is a specific request/review/audit process to allow it (as original GP's comment said), that makes sense. I just don't think it makes sense to ban without an exception process.

I think the “easy” bit is increasingly not true, given that blanket AI feature bans mean you’ve banned both Mac OS and Windows.

Is that control opt-out by default?

Another commenter mentioned that the default is no training for Enterprise and Organization accounts, but for Starter and Professional accounts the default allows training and you need to explicitly opt out.

Once again saying that these dark patterns should be illegal.

The language in the announcement looks tricky (albeit I didn't get into the legal document). It says NEW content won't be used for training. Also, it's going to be on for a moment. You have to go out of your way to turn it off. They could claim they copied your info in the hour or so before you got around to it.

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