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- A Copilot setting lets the AI access data from other Microsoft products.
- The goal is to help personalize your Co-Pilot conversations.
- If you are concerned about your privacy you can disable it.
Like many AIs, Microsoft Copilot loves to learn more about you to better personalize your chats. The AI does this by remembering your conversation history and the details you’ve knowingly shared. But a setting in Copilot can also pull data from other Microsoft products without your knowledge.
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The setting, known as “Microsoft usage data”, lets Copilot reference your data from Bing, MSN, Edge, and other Microsoft products you’ve used, like Viewed by Windows Latest. Accessible through the CoPilot website and mobile app, the setting appears to be relatively new and is part of the Memory option in CoPilot. This option allows the AI to remember your conversation history, any facts and instructions you’ve shared, and some data from Microsoft products, all in an effort to personalize CoPilot.
Certainly, this memory feature can help guide your conversation. You may want to refer to a topic from a previous conversation without rehashing it. Perhaps you are seeking advice on a personal or business matter, and AI’s knowledge of you could better address the situation.
Are you putting your privacy at risk?
This sounds fine, but what about the downsides? If Copilot knows a lot about you, are you putting your privacy at risk? And what does Microsoft do with the data besides personalizing your chats?
in one FAQs about CopilotMicrosoft promises to use your conversations only for the limited purposes described in Privacy statement. This means that data will be recorded to monitor CoPilot’s performance, troubleshoot problems, diagnose bugs, prevent misuse, and improve the product. The company says it will not use your information for AI model training. In fact, this is a separate setting that you can and should disable.
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Additionally, according to Microsoft, the Copilot Personalization setting in Copilot does not control whether you receive targeted ads. This is also a separate option that you can disable by signing in Your Microsoft Account page and going towards Personalized Ads & Offers Section Under confidentiality.
Still, privacy concerns are natural, especially since personalization options can be enabled automatically, according to Other Microsoft Copilot FAQs. When I checked Copilot on my PC, I found that the settings here were on. In this case, you may want to disable the option, especially if your questions to the copilot do not depend on his knowledge of you.
To check, browse copilot website Or open the app for iOS Or Android And make sure you’re signed in with your Microsoft account. On the website, select your account name at the bottom of the left pane, click Settings, and then select Storage. In the mobile app, tap the three-line hamburger icon to display the left pane, tap your name, and then select Storage.
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You’ll see the usual options for “Personalization & Memory” and two settings – one for “What you’ve shared” and the new one for “Microsoft Usage Data.” To disable these, first turn off the switch for Microsoft usage data, and then turn it off for Personalization and memory. To delete all items in memory, select the “Delete all memory” button. If you’ve shared any personal details with Copilot, select the Edit button next to “What you’ve shared.” You can then remove any details you don’t want the AI to remember.
If you leave these options turned on, be careful what you say to Copilot in conversations. Do not reveal any sensitive or confidential details. Even Microsoft advises you to avoid certain personal data, such as your sexual orientation or health status.
