Twitch streamers can now choose to prevent their content from being utilized in the training of Amazon's generative artificial intelligence models. The platform introduced a new setting, "Training for Generative AI," which allows users to disable the use of their streams, video-on-demand recordings, clips, and any text or images on their channel for future AI model development. This change means that content will not be used to "generate or synthesize text, audio, images, or video" by Amazon's AI.
The setting is located within the "Security and Privacy" section of a streamer's account settings. By default, streamers are opted in to this data usage, meaning their content is automatically included in AI training unless they actively choose to opt out. This has drawn criticism, with some users expressing concern that the feature is opt-out rather than opt-in.
While streamers can opt out of generative AI training, Twitch clarified that this does not mean an opt-out from all AI or machine learning applications on the platform. Features such as AutoMod, which assists in community safety, and automated captions for clips will continue to function. Twitch stated that these AI-supported features process content to deliver a service but do not retain it for the purpose of training generative models. Additionally, features that benefit the community, such as streamer growth tools and viewer discovery systems like recommendations, will also remain operational.
The platform's privacy notice indicates that personal information collected by Twitch may be combined with data from Amazon customers for the purpose of operating and improving products and services across both companies. The new opt-out toggle specifically carves out generative AI training from this broader data-sharing structure.
Twitch also noted that if a streamer participates in another streamer's chat, the chat host's opt-out preferences will govern whether content from that chat is used for generative AI training. This means that even if a user has opted out of AI training for their own channel, their contributions to another streamer's chat could still be used if that streamer has not opted out.
The introduction of this feature follows reports and rumors circulating in recent weeks about Twitch's intentions to use streamer content for AI model training. The platform confirmed its plans through its support account on X (formerly Twitter), with a more detailed explanation available in its FAQ section. The move places Twitch within a larger trend of platforms utilizing user-generated content for AI development, a practice that has raised significant debate within the creator economy regarding data ownership and creator compensation.