Microsoft says it isn’t utilizing buyer information from its Microsoft 365 apps to coach its AI fashions. The clarification addresses reports circulating online in the last few weeks claiming Microsoft required Phrase and Excel customers to choose out of coaching the corporate’s AI programs.
The confusion arose from a privateness setting in Microsoft Workplace that toggles “optional connected experiences” — a characteristic that helps customers “seek for on-line photos” or “discover data accessible on-line,” in keeping with Microsoft. This toggle is switched on by default, and fails to say AI coaching within the disclosure. Equally, a Microsoft studying doc posted on October twenty first, 2024 appears to have contributed to the confusion by describing a protracted listing of connected experiences in Office that “analyze your content material” with out explicitly excluding AI coaching.
“Within the M365 apps, we don’t use buyer information to coach LLMs,” the Microsoft 365 X account said, responding to claims. “This setting solely permits options requiring web entry like co-authoring a doc.” Microsoft’s communications head Frank Shaw also chimed in on Bluesky to debunk the claims.
The Adobe and Microsoft incidents counsel that individuals are more and more involved with their private information being utilized by tech firms to coach their AI fashions with out categorical permission. It’s an comprehensible concern given companies like Meta, X, and Google choose their customers into AI coaching by default, and the huge portions of online content being scraped for that goal.
