r/AskTechnology • u/amdyusri890 • 2d ago

Hey everyone just stop by for asking. Do free online AI image generators keep uploaded photos or use them for training?

I'm trying to understand the privacy risks of free online AI image editors that can be used without creating an account.

If someone uploads a photo, generates an edited image, and later deletes the files from their own phone, could the website still retain copies on its servers?

Also, is there a reliable way to find out whether uploaded images are used for AI training when the privacy policy doesn't clearly say?

I'd appreciate factual explanations or experiences from people who have researched this topic.

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u/Previous_Tea_2250 2d ago

Deleting it from your phone only removes your local copy; it says nothing about the service’s retention. Check the privacy policy, terms, and any separate AI or data-use page for retention, sharing, and training language. If those documents are vague or silent, the cautious assumption is that you cannot verify deletion or training limits, so avoid uploading anything sensitive.

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u/PhotoFenix 2d ago

Even if they say they delete their data it may be a lie or a third party vendor may have a leak

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u/More-Cat1123 2d ago

Nothing you upload to the internet or a cloud service is private. Ever. 

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u/Distdistdist 2d ago

Absolutely they do. If any product is free (gmail, youtube, google, chatGPT) - actual product is you. Even paid ones do, I'm pretty sure. But you won't find that out.

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u/CampingMonk 2d ago

Why wouldn't they?

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u/sineout 2d ago

The old adage of 'if it's free, you're the product' comes in.

Always assume AI image generators will use any images uploaded to them as training data.

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u/PhotoFenix 2d ago

Always assume everything you do online is immutable public domain. This is decades old knowledge.

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u/Got-It101 9h ago

ANYTHING you put or do online is online

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u/Shamelescampr559 1d ago

You can install The Edge Gallery on your Android phone (If you have one) And you can download local llms directly to your Android device. (Only works best on the latest pixel devices)

You can also download Ollama and have access to a plethora of offline AI models a lot. Pretty sure there's image ones as well but def worth a look.

I don't pay for any AI services any longer now that I know I can just build them all and run them on my computer locally why am I going to pay for a service or tokens to use an AI model when I can run it for free...

All of you should start doing the same too

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u/ericbythebay 5h ago

Read the terms of service you agreed to. Whether they use your images for training will be spelled out there.