Microsoft has refuted allegations that it collects data from its Microsoft 365 applications, such as Word and Excel, for artificial intelligence training. This statement follows a viral Tumblr post claiming the company used a feature called “Connected Experiences” to scrape user data. A Microsoft spokesperson clarified that customer data is not utilized to train large language models and emphasized that the Connected Experiences feature, available since April 2019, is designed to enhance productivity with tools like real-time grammar suggestions and co-authoring. Users can choose to turn this feature on or off within the settings of their Office applications. The company reassured customers they have full control over their data privacy settings.
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