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Microsoft is facing allegations of “scraping” user-generated data from its desktop publishing software Word and spreadsheet tool Excel to train its AI systems, a claim the company denies.
Recent reports suggested that users of Word and Excel are required to opt out if they do not wish their data to be used for AI training. According to nixCraft, a contributor to Cyberciti.biz, Microsoft’s Connected Experiences feature is at the center of the controversy. The feature, enabled by default, reportedly collects data from user-created Word and Excel files to train AI models unless users manually disable it. Microsoft addressed these circulating claims, seeking to clarify the situation.
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. https://t.co/o9DGn9QnHb
— Microsoft 365 (@Microsoft365) November 25, 2024
In a post by Microsoft 365 on X, the company stated: “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.”
Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s head of communications, also weighed in on Bluesky to refute the allegations. He wrote: “As noted when this came up a few weeks back, this is not true and following the link for more information makes that clear.”
As noted when this came up a few weeks back, this is not true and following the link for more information makes that clear.
Microsoft and intellectual property amid rise of AI
In a blog post from August 2024, Microsoft confirmed that user data remains private and is not shared without consent. The company stated: “Generative AI models do not store training data or return it to provide a response, and instead are designed to generate new content.”
It goes on to say: “If we plan for additional changes to how we use consumer data for training our generative AI models in Copilot, we will share that transparently and will ensure there remains an ability for consumers to stay in control and choose whether to allow that.”
However, Microsoft’s Services Agreement includes a clause that grants the company “a worldwide and royalty-free intellectual property license to use Your Content.”
The clause reads: “To the extent necessary to provide the Services to you and others, to protect you and the Services, and to improve Microsoft products and services, you grant to Microsoft a worldwide and royalty-free intellectual property license to use Your Content, for example, to make copies of, retain, transmit, reformat, display, and distribute via communication tools Your Content on the Services.”
ReadWrite reported a similar situation faced by Adobe earlier this year when its user terms were widely misunderstood to suggest the company was using user-generated content to train generative AI. In response, Adobe quickly revised the language in its terms of service to clarify that this was not the case.
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