Meta Platforms revealed it is building AI technology specifically for the European market, reflecting differing languages and geographies in an attempt to ensure the continent is at the forefront of the technology’s development.

In a statement, the company’s global engagement director Stefano Fratta explained it is following examples set by others including Google and OpenAI to use data generated by Europeans specifically to train AI models.

He said its data is coming from people in the European Union (EU) who have opted to share content on Instagram and Facebook, such as public posts, comments or photos and their captions.

It does not use people’s private messages to train models or retain a database of each person’s information, as the model is not designed to identify any individual.

“Rather, these models are built by looking at people’s information to identify patterns, like understanding colloquial phrases or local references,” Fratta said.

The company began to notify users in the EU and the US last month about how it planned to use public information shares on Instagram and Facebook to develop and improve AI.

Explaining the push, Fratta described Europe as one of the most influential regions in the world, with the potential to be a competitive leader in AI innovation, however there are still questions over the continent’s involvement.

“We’re living in one of the most exciting technological moments in a generation, where breakthroughs are happening in front of our eyes and the possibilities are endless. And at Meta, we want Europeans to be part of it,” he added.