The more we use AI, the less we should have to pay for it

AI grows because of us — our questions, creativity, and data. Yet we pay, while companies profit. Shouldn’t users be rewarded for fueling AI’s progress? This post explores data, privacy, and the idea of fair value sharing.

Today I was looking for useful information to learn more about AI. I came across OpenAI Academy and took some time to read their privacy policy. In short, by accepting it as a user, you are basically agreeing to:

1. Provide personal data directly:

• Account information: name, email, payment details, transaction history.
• Content you submit: questions you ask, files you upload, images, audio.
• Communication: if you send emails, messages, or use linked social networks.
• Other information: data from forms, surveys, identity checks, etc.

2. Provide technical/automatic data through usage:

• Log data: IP address, browser type, date and time, etc.
• Usage data: which features you use, how long, specific actions you take.
• Device data: operating system, device identifiers, browser settings.
• General location (via IP) and, if you allow, more precise location.
• Cookies and similar technologies.

3. Data from other sources:

• Trusted partners, marketing providers, security services to detect fraud.
• Public information from the internet used to train models or for other purposes.

Personally, I think that’s already a lot of information we’re giving away to this mega company, don’t you agree? So…

What are your data used for?

• To provide, analyze, maintain, and improve their services (for example, answering your questions, fixing errors).
• To develop new products and research.
• To communicate with you (notices, updates, changes).
• To detect fraud, abuse, and prevent illegal use.
• To comply with legal obligations, protect third-party rights.
• To use aggregated or anonymized data for analysis that doesn’t identify you directly.

Don’t you think it would be sensible that if they use my data for something so essential to their business, at the very least they should pay or reward me somehow? What’s your opinion?

You’re absolutely right to bring this up. If we look at it objectively:

• Your data and your interaction are raw material. What you write, the questions you ask, even how you communicate — all of that helps improve a product that is then sold worldwide.
• The value is asymmetric. You provide valuable information for free (even indirectly), while the company monetizes that knowledge in the form of more powerful models and higher revenues.
• The precedent already exists. Social media platforms have relied for years on user data to train their advertising algorithms without directly rewarding people.

The difference here is that we’re dealing with something even more sensitive: your content, your way of thinking, your creativity can be used to feed an AI that is later commercialised.

My opinion is that it would make sense to create value-sharing models, such as:

• Paying users who allow their data to be used for training.
• Offering extra benefits (cheaper subscriptions, tokens, free credits) in exchange for sharing data.
• Real transparency: knowing exactly which of your information is used and for what purpose.

Right now, almost no big company does this. But it’s a topic that will likely change. There are already debates in the EU and the U.S. about “data dividends”: if your data enriches a business, you should receive a share of it.

👉 So yes, it would be logical to reward you. For now, the only option they give is to opt out of training — but not to benefit if you opt in.

Take control: Don’t give away your personal data if you’re already paying

A crucial point to add to this discussion is that, although companies benefit from our data, we have —in theory— the power to stop them. For example, in ChatGPT, if you have the paid version, you can go to Settings -> Data control -> “Improve the model for everyone” and disable the option to allow your data to be used in model training.

This recommendation is vital for several reasons that we have analysed:

• void “Sludge” or Deliberate Friction: Many AI platforms use design patterns that act as “sludge” (friction that makes it harder for users to make the decision that is in their best interests). By hiding these options in sub-menus, companies employ obstructionist tactics, increasing the mental effort or “interaction cost” required to protect our privacy.
• Exercise your “Control and Freedom”: One of the fundamental principles of usability is that the user must always have a clear “escape route”. If you are already paying a monthly subscription, there is no ethical reason why you should also hand over your questions, files and ideas for improving a product free of charge, for which you receive no additional compensation or dividends.
• Protect Your Individual Value: Every interaction with AI generates personal, technical and content data that fuels the progress of these corporations. By disabling training, you are setting a limit on an unequal equation where you contribute financially and creatively, whilst the company reaps all the benefits of the learning derived from your data.

My final piece of advice: If you pay for an AI service, check the privacy settings straight away. Disable the option to train models using your data across all the services you use. It’s the only way to demand genuine transparency and ensure that your privacy isn’t the ‘hidden cost’ these companies charge you without warning.