Microsoft Copilot contractors review uncensored user photos and prompts

Microsoft Copilot AI privacy human contractors data security image editing

Internal documents obtained by 404 Media reveal that Microsoft employs hundreds of third-party human contractors to review user data processed through its Copilot AI system. These contractors evaluate the accuracy of AI-generated image edits by comparing original user-uploaded photographs with the resulting AI outputs.

Reports indicate that these reviewers often see uncensored images, including those with identifiable faces, alongside the original text prompts. The evaluation process is designed to measure how well the algorithm follows specific instructions rather than serving as a safety moderation service. Consequently, contractors have reported encountering highly disturbing and sensitive content, including sexually explicit requests, non-consensual image modifications, and prompts involving children or self-harm.

Microsoft has defended the practice, stating that it uses customer data in accordance with its terms of use to improve products and enforce conduct standards. While the company offers harmful content protection, certain settings can be disabled by organization administrators. One of the companies involved in providing human evaluation for these tasks is Prolific.

Entities

404 Media · Copilot · Microsoft · OpenAI · Prolific

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Contractors review uncensored user photographs without facial blurring to assess editing accuracy. pc-tablet.com · uk.pcmag.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Microsoft states it uses customer data according to its terms of use to improve products and respect company conduct standards. www.spacemoney.com.br · uk.pcmag.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Microsoft uses third-party human contractors to evaluate user prompts and uploaded pictures processed through its Copilot AI system. pc-tablet.com · uk.pcmag.com
[● 5 SOURCES] The primary role of contractors is to grade the accuracy of the algorithm in executing user commands rather than acting as safety moderators. pc-tablet.com · techmaniacs.gr · uk.pcmag.com · cybernoz.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Organization administrators have the ability to disable the harmful content protection setting. uk.pcmag.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Prolific is one of the companies hired to provide human evaluation for Microsoft Copilot. www.spacemoney.com.br · uk.pcmag.com
[● 5 SOURCES] Reviewers encounter sexually explicit requests, including requests to shorten skirts on real women or modify body proportions. pc-tablet.com · www.spacemoney.com.br · uk.pcmag.com · cybernoz.com · techmaniacs.gr
[● 8 SOURCES] Internal documents obtained by 404 Media show that human contractors review original user photos and prompts used in Microsoft Copilot. tedroid.com · cybernoz.com · pc-tablet.com · www.spacemoney.com.br · techmaniacs.gr · +2 more