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You can't turn off Copilot in the web versions of Word, Excel, or PowerPoint

(support.microsoft.com)
133 points artbristol | 9 comments | 30 Oct 25 17:10 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source | bottom
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normalaccess ◴[30 Oct 25 20:44 UTC] No.45765097[source]▶
That's because AIs can't survive by eating their own output. The only solution they know to ward off model collapse is more human input. They need you to use AI to feed the beast. And if it's built into your office apps, they get that data for free.

That's part of why every service and system are getting integrations, It's not for us it's for data harvesting.

In the end that's what "Windows Recall" will be used for. Access to every moment of every user for every app... Can you imagine the training data that would provide? An AI that could run any program ever created.

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1. sershe ◴[31 Oct 25 05:17 UTC] No.45768665[source]▶
I work in MSFT although not in office org. Based on my experience, the reason is far more trivial. Someone has a half year goal (KR) that says I/my team will increase engagement by N% from X to Y. Some people, whom I don't respect, when presented with a goal like that immediately start doing this (tfa) kind of stuff. Many people, when towards the end of the period some of their genuine (i.e. delivering good stuff) bets don't pan out and the numbers don't number, start doing things like this or generally throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks.

I bet there was a meeting where someone axed the off button because numbers.

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2. benterix ◴[31 Oct 25 08:45 UTC] No.45769715[source]▶
> "increase engagement"

It's hard to follow for me. Increase engagement in... office apps? For why?!

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3. rcxdude ◴[31 Oct 25 09:28 UTC] No.45769998[source]▶
Because it increases the prestige of your department when you can say 'we developed features which are now used by X% of users'. If you've ever wondered why every new feature in a Microsoft product seems to need to be used, this is why. It's so the team that implemented it can justify themselves.
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4. ◴[31 Oct 25 10:17 UTC] No.45770333{3}[source]▶
5. moritzwarhier ◴[31 Oct 25 11:47 UTC] No.45770969[source]▶
> Based on my experience, the reason is far more trivial. Someone has a half year goal (KR) that says I/my team will increase engagement by N% from X to Y.

How is does this contradict the comment you are replying to?

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6. soupfordummies ◴[31 Oct 25 14:15 UTC] No.45772223[source]▶
Probably more like increase engagement of Copilot. Microsoft is basically all-in on AI/Copilot.
7. xigoi ◴[31 Oct 25 20:02 UTC] No.45776099{3}[source]▶
> Any organization that designs a system (defined broadly) will produce a design whose structure is a copy of the organization's communication structure.

— Melvin Conway

8. sershe ◴[01 Nov 25 05:20 UTC] No.45779435[source]▶
It implies there's no nefarious intent to collect some training data. In my area at least the only user data I'm aware of is used for measurement of engagement in anonymized aggregated form. Engagement metrics still exist, because supposedly on yet higher level they translate to revenue, not because of training (unless you count thus feature works do more of it as training). I assume the office org is not different.
9. fingerlocks ◴[01 Nov 25 05:30 UTC] No.45779463[source]▶
I did a brief stint in office and back this up. There’s a no malicious grand scheme, just the the loudest mouth in the room this quarter calling the shots. It’ll be someone else in 6 months demanding a different color of shit thrown at the wall.