- Microsoft has clarified some of the terms and conditions associated with Copilot
- The responsibilities of the AI tool have been shifted to the users.
- Despite being for “entertainment purposes,” it is still heavily marketed to workers.
In a major turn of events, Microsoft has reaffirmed that Copilot is for “entertainment purposes only” and that, if used for work, it should be used as the first of multiple stages of fact-checking, rather than relied on.
“It may make errors and may not work as intended,” the company wrote. “Do not rely on Copilot for important advice. Use Copilot at your own risk.”
Although the company wants businesses and employees to continue using Copilot for work, there is a clear shift of responsibility to the user here, freeing Microsoft from any accusations of false information.
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Microsoft says “use Copilot at your own risk”
Indirectly, Microsoft is effectively admitting the risk of AI hallucinations amid ongoing concerns about copyrighted content, intellectual property ambiguity, and production legitimacy.
With this in mind, the company clearly wants us to think of Copilot as a tool, not a decision-maker, and for users to independently verify the results and be cautious with any confidential and protected information.
“You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless… from and against any claims, losses and expenses… arising from or related to your use of Copilot,” Microsoft added in another paragraph.
More generally, the company also notes that prompts and responses can be used to improve Copilot; however, enterprise versions have additional protections to safeguard sensitive information. In other words, users retain rights to their entries, however, Microsoft still has the right to use the data to improve the service.
However, while Microsoft’s efforts to impose some responsibility on users have attracted attention, it is not the only company with such terms. OpenAI, Google and Anthropic set out similar notices in their terms, including user responsibility and no guarantee of accuracy.
The shift of responsibility from AI provider to user is an ongoing shift that companies are affirming while the industry is still analyzing what the legal risks might be, but as Microsoft continues to sell Copilot tools to business users and consumers, it is clearly an exercise in reframing terms rather than a complete change in behavior.
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