Microsoft has released a Transparency Note for its Copilot for Microsoft 365, urging enterprises to thoroughly manage user access rights before deploying the new technology. This caution comes as businesses grapple with data governance concerns related to integrating the service into their existing systems.
Copilot for Microsoft 365, priced at $30 per user per month with an annual subscription, utilizes large language models (LLMs) to enhance productivity by summarizing, predicting, and generating content across Microsoft 365 apps and services. The service interacts with Microsoft Graph to process user prompts and return refined outputs. However, Microsoft stresses that the service will only access data for which a user already has permissions, based on the organization’s role-based access controls.
The Transparency Note underscores the necessity for administrators to verify that user access configurations are properly set up before the rollout. Additionally, organizations are advised to consider legal and compliance implications, especially in regulated industries. Microsoft is committed to addressing regulatory requirements through continuous product improvements.
The note also suggests that enabling Copilot to reference web content from Bing and extending Microsoft Graph with sources like CRM systems and external file repositories could enhance the service’s performance. However, this requires careful governance to ensure data integrity and compliance.
Recent feedback highlights that some large corporations have paused their Copilot deployments due to concerns about data access and the summarization of sensitive information. This underscores the importance of proper setup and management to mitigate risks related to data privacy and compliance.
Microsoft’s guidance stresses the importance of caution and careful consideration of the service’s outputs to balance productivity gains with potential risks. Enterprises are encouraged to review their data governance strategies thoroughly to ensure a smooth and secure implementation of Copilot for Microsoft 365.
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