Udemy faced a backlash from its instructors over its controversial generative AI training in which it told instructors that they may be negatively impacted by opting-out.

The training platform automatically opted in instructors to have their classes used for AI training, providing only a three-week window, from August 21 to September 12, for them to opt out. The opt-out period has now closed, leaving many instructors frustrated as they find their options grayed out in the settings.

Udemy told instructors who chose to opt out that they will lose access to AI features, which may negatively impact their course visibility and earnings. 

Udemy stated that it would offer annual opt-out periods in the future but emphasised the significant time investment required to remove data once it has been ingested into their models. 

Some instructors expressed their intention to leave the platform entirely due to these changes, citing concerns over intellectual property rights and lack of clear communication from Udemy about the policy updates.

Scott Rogers, Udemy's senior vice president of instructor and content strategy, defended the policy, asserting that instructors should have control over their content and that the company is committed to transparency. 

However, the implementation of the policy raised questions about the ethical implications of using instructor-generated content for AI training without broader consent.