Microsoft responds to Teams privacy concerns by adding a way to disable its AI mid-meeting


Summary

  • Microsoft Teams adds an option during the meeting to turn meeting AI on or off (copilot, summary)

  • Organizers and presenters can enable AI for valuable insights or disable it for sensitive discussions.

  • The US launch was delayed until early to mid-July; global launch expected by the end of July

AI assistants have permeated the world of online meetings quite a bit. People holding meetings use AI assistants to take notes of everything that is said and discussed. Sometimes attendees will invite their own robots to keep track of everything or even replace them. However, with all these robots listening and taking notes, it creates a privacy issue. Where does all that information go and who can access it?

People had similar concerns when Microsoft Teams started getting AI tools. It is a very understandable concern; If people hold data-sensitive Teams meetings with Copilot listening in, that alone could pose a privacy risk. Fortunately, Microsoft has added a way to disable Teams’ Copilot AI assistant in the middle of a meeting.

Microsoft Teams gets Copilot controls mid-meeting

You can turn it off and on at any time.

teams-ai-disable-example Credit: Microsoft

As reported by latest Windowsthe website contacted Microsoft to ask if it had any plans to reduce the amount of Copilot integration that Teams has. Microsoft pointed Windows Latest to this message Microsoft 365 Message Centercalled “Microsoft Teams: Toggle during meeting to turn meeting AI on or off.”

This is what it will do:

Microsoft Teams will introduce a new alternate during the meeting which allows licensed meeting organizers and presenters to turn meeting AI (including co-pilot, facilitator, and meeting summary) on or off during a live meeting. This change builds on existing meeting AI behavior and provides real-time flexibility to control when AI is active.

Authorized organizers and presenters can capture information when discussions are valuable and disable AI when conversations turn to sensitive topics. Lever respects existing tenant policies and compliance checks.

It seems that Microsoft originally wanted this feature to roll out in the US in early June, but something delayed it to early July and the rollout was completed in mid-July. The rest of the world will receive it at the end of July.


Copilot icon

Microsoft quietly added a way to delete Copilot from your PC to Group Policy

It is very easy to activate, but there is a problem.



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