Microsoft disputes allegations of using customer data for AI training

On Wednesday, Microsoft rejected allegations that the company uses customer data from its Microsoft 365 applications, such as Word and Excel, to train AI models. This clarification followed discussions on social media where users pointed out that Microsoft requires them to actively opt-out of the "connected experiences" feature, as it is allegedly used for AI model training. A Microsoft spokesperson stated in a declaration sent via email to Reuters that these claims are not true. Microsoft does not use customer data from Microsoft 365 applications in consumer or business environments to train foundational large language models. Furthermore, the spokesperson emphasized that "connected experiences" enable services like co-editing and cloud storage and have no connection to the training method of large language models at Microsoft. The debate on social media highlights that many people remain concerned that their data could be used for AI model training without explicit consent.