Microsoft says it isn’t using customer data from its Microsoft 365 apps to train its AI models. The clarification addresses reports circulating online in the last few weeks claiming Microsoft required Word and Excel users to opt out of training the company’s AI systems.

The setting in question 'only enables features requiring internet access like co-authoring a document,' Microsoft says.

Over the past couple of weeks, rumors have surfaced that Microsoft is scraping customers' Word documents and Excel spreadsheets to train its AI systems. These claims arose after Microsoft introduced a new feature in October called Connected Experiences,

All of the recent hullabaloo surrounding Microsoft 365's 'connected experiences' has been a misunderstanding, per the company.