Microsoft has updated its terms of service, which will come into effect at the end of September. This update includes a strong emphasis on the fact that its AI services, including its popular Copilot, should not be considered a replacement for advice from qualified human professionals. This comes as AI-powered agents are becoming increasingly prevalent across various industries, including customer service, healthcare, and even legal consultations.
While the rise of AI chatbots is undeniable, Microsoft is reiterating its stance that users should not rely solely on chatbot responses. The updated Service Agreement explicitly states, “AI services are not designed, intended, or to be used as substitutes for professional advice.” The company specifically highlights its health bots as an example, stating that they “are not designed or intended as substitutes for professional medical advice or for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, prevention, or treatment of disease or other conditions.” Microsoft explicitly states that it “is not responsible for any decision you make based on information you receive from health bots.”
The revised terms also outline additional restrictions on the use of Microsoft’s AI services. Users are prohibited from employing web scraping, web harvesting, or web data extraction methods to extract data from the AI services, unless explicitly permitted. Additionally, reverse engineering attempts to uncover the underlying models or weights, or to use the data to create, train, or improve other AI services, are strictly forbidden.
The new terms emphasize, “You may not use the AI services to discover any underlying components of the models, algorithms, and systems.” Users are prohibited from attempting to determine and remove the weights of models or extract any parts of the AI services from their devices.
Microsoft has consistently been vocal about the potential risks associated with the misuse of generative AI. These updated terms of service demonstrate the company’s commitment to establishing legal safeguards as its AI products gain wider adoption and become more ubiquitous in various aspects of life.
