Microsoft 365 does NOT use customer data to train AI models

What you need to know

• Microsoft was accused of using data from Word documents and Excel spreadsheets to train AI models earlier this week.
• The tech giant has denied the rumors, stating, “In the M365 apps, we do not use customer data to train LLMs. This setting only enables features requiring internet access like co-authoring a document.”
• Many were concerned about rumors because private and sensitive data is often placed in documents and spreadsheets.
• Microsoft’s past surrounding training AI models, including a new LinkedIn feature that allows the company to train models using data from the social media platform, likely contributed to people assuming the worst from the company.

Rumors swirled this week accusing Microsoft of using private data from Word, Excel, and other Microsoft 365 apps to train AI models. Reports of the alleged practice sparked from a feature in Office called “Connected Experiences.” While that feature does include “experiences that analyze your content,” it does not use data to train AI models. Instead, it is for features such as PowerPoint suggesting an image to add to a presentation.

As highlighted by How-To Geek, Microsoft could have done better outlining the scope of its Connected Experiences feature. In 2024, it’s almost assumed that analyzing data would include training AI models, even if that’s not always the case. The fact that Connected Experiences are enabled by default also hurts, as some assume enabling the feature by default was a sneaky way to gain access to customer data.