How to get the most out of Copilot while protecting your data
Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of our lives, and Microsoft has perhaps been the quickest to bake new AI features into its products. Microsoft Copilot is Microsoft’s AI assistant that can be accessed on Windows 11, and from many of its apps and services, like Edge, Bing, and the Office suite. It’s really an impressive part of Microsoft’s modern software approach. Copilot isn’t just a chatbot these days – it’s a full-fledged assistant that can see images, generate images and text, draft email replies, and more. But, of course, given how deep Copilot integration is becoming in Microsoft’s services, you might be wondering just how protected the data you give Copilot is – and how to make use of Copilot while keeping your data safe and secure. Here’s what you need to know. What permissions does Copilot need? To get the most out of Copilot, it really needs pretty much full access to everything on your computer. That’s right – all the documents, emails, images, and files that you have on your computer can be seen by Copilot, if you give it the access. That’s important to keep in mind if you store sensitive files on your computer. SEE ALSO: Microsoft unveils Copilot Agents, an AI business assistant To be fair, Windows as a whole also has this access, obviously. Microsoft increasingly wants users to see Copilot as part of the Microsoft, and Windows, experience – and less as an app that runs on top of Windows. Microsoft has been transparent about its approach to developing AI responsibly, including developing AI systems in accordance with the Microsoft Privacy Standard. This “standard” essentially outlines that while Microsoft collects data from you using Microsoft products, users are able to control the data that Microsoft uses for advertising. What Copilot features need an internet connection? The features that Copilot needs an internet connection for actually vary a little depending on the computer you have. Microsoft recently launched a new generatio
How to get the most out of Copilot while protecting your data