Microsoft Copilot Manager roasted, doesn't understand Confidentiality
This YouTube video discusses a concerning thread on Blue Sky (formerly “Law Twitter”) regarding the mandatory integration of Microsoft Copilot into Microsoft 365 (formerly Microsoft Office). The core issue revolves around data privacy and confidentiality, particularly for legal professionals.
Key Points:
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Mandatory Copilot: Microsoft Copilot is now mandatory in Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Windows), raising serious concerns about data privacy and security. It cannot be easily disabled.
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Data Ingestion Concerns: Legal professionals worry that Copilot ingests data from client files, even when not actively used, potentially leaking confidential information between unrelated cases. This violates attorney-client confidentiality and ethical obligations. The concern is not just about data being used to train the model, but about data “bleeding” between files on the same computer.
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Conflicting Information from Microsoft: A legal analyst spent over an hour with Microsoft support, receiving conflicting information about Copilot’s data handling. Microsoft support initially claimed it was impossible to disable Copilot and couldn’t guarantee data wouldn’t leak between files or leave the organization. Conversely, a Microsoft employee (Ben Shore) claims Copilot only uses data from the currently active file and that disabling certain privacy settings can mitigate the issue.
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Ethical Implications for Lawyers: The use of Copilot creates a significant ethical dilemma for lawyers. Using information from one client’s file to inform another’s violates confidentiality rules and could result in disciplinary action, including license suspension. The American Bar Association (ABA) issued guidance on AI ethics in July 2024, highlighting confidentiality concerns.
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Lack of Clear Answers from Microsoft: The discussion highlights the lack of clear and reassuring answers from Microsoft regarding Copilot’s data handling practices. The company’s responses are deemed vague and insufficient by legal professionals. The disagreement between Microsoft support and a Microsoft employee underscores the internal confusion.
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Call to Action: The video concludes with a call for Microsoft to address these concerns promptly and transparently, providing clear guarantees about data privacy and preventing the accidental disclosure of confidential client information. The video also shows how to disable some Copilot features in Microsoft 365, though it’s not a full solution to the underlying concerns.