On October 26th， Microsoft released Gaming Copilot， a feature integrated into Game Bar designed to provide players with instant assistance and useful information during their gaming sessions. This innovative tool promises to enhance the player experience by offering contextual help tailored to the ongoing gameplay.
However， this new functionality has quickly become a point of contention. Some users have accused Microsoft of secretly capturing their game screens to train AI models without explicit consent. Analysis of network activity by certain users reportedly revealed that Gaming Copilot was transmitting game screenshots to Microsoft， a practice they claim was not authorized.
Further fueling these concerns， one user shared a screenshot of privacy settings. This indicated that the option allowing Microsoft to use data for AI model training was enabled by default， again， without the user’s explicit approval. This default activation raised questions about user control and data privacy within the Game Bar ecosystem.
In response to the controversy， Microsoft has issued a clarification regarding the operation of Gaming Copilot， aiming to address users’ apprehensions:
Microsoft stated， “When you actively use Gaming Copilot within the Game Bar， it can utilize your game screenshots to better understand the content of the game you are playing and provide you with more helpful responses. These screenshots are not used to train AI models.” The company emphasized that the screenshots are purely for in-game contextual understanding to improve the immediate assistance provided by the AI.
Furthermore， Microsoft reiterated that Gaming Copilot is an optional feature. It only accesses game visuals when a player is actively using it during a gaming session. This highlights the user-initiated nature of such data access， intended to ensure relevancy and prevent passive data collection.
Microsoft also acknowledged that it might use text or voice interactions with players to help train and improve its AI. However， the company pointed out that players have the ability to manage these settings. By navigating to “Settings” within the Game Bar and then accessing “Privacy Settings，” users can adjust their preferences related to AI training and data usage.
In summary， Microsoft has unequivocally denied the accusation that game screenshots are being used to train its AI models. Nevertheless， the company confirms that screenshots are indeed captured when the user actively engages with Gaming Copilot， specifically to enable the AI to comprehend the current game content and offer relevant assistance. Currently， the only method for users wishing to completely remove Gaming Copilot is to uninstall the entire Game Bar application. This measure， while effective for removal， underscores the integrated nature of Gaming Copilot within the broader Game Bar functionality.
