Microsoft is getting ready to release a new set of AI assistants that literally can remember everything without memory fading. In the next year, we will see that these tools will be able recall past conversations, work projects, and even preferences users had set.
Microsoft’s head of AI, Mustafa Suleyman has faith in this future. He shared insights in a BBC interview, discussing these products that are made to remember details from user interactions, as a way to facilitate more personalised assistance.
He said, “I think we’re going through a fundamentally new era where there will be ever-present, persistent and highly capable co-pilot companions in your everyday life.” When using AI such as ChatGPT, you start to see that it forgets earlier info as it receives newer info, and with these updates, those days will soon be gone.
The Issue Of Privacy And True ‘Seclusion’
The main worry a lot of people have when it comes to features like these, is that you are monitored and being listened to all the time. This makes many uncomfortable, because they believe they would not have privacy. What many don’t realise is, with existing tools like Siri, this isn’t really anything out of the ordinary from what is being used already.
There’s also the concern that storing personal data over long periods of time could lead to security breaches and misuse of information. So, how people feel about always-on AI is 50/50. Some appreciate the convenience of having a digital assistant that can manage tasks and recall important information at any given time. Others fear the strong invasion of privacy this brings, and how this would mean constant surveillance.
Microsoft’s Response To User Privacy
On their Copilot page, Microsoft answered the question on whether user data is shared with third parties, and they said, “We will not share your data with third parties or partners for AI training purposes without your permission.
“Your conversations with Copilot, like queries and responses, are not disclosed or sold to third parties, except for the following limited instances:
“Microsoft shares some personal data with third parties in accordance with our Microsoft Privacy Statement. For example, we may share your personal data with Microsoft-controlled affiliates and subsidiaries, with vendors working on our behalf, and when required by law or to respond to legal process.
“To improve Copilot’s safety and ability to detect risks, the Copilot team partners with external research organisations to review and evaluate Copilot logs. For example, external research organisations can help review Copilot conversation logs to understand the variety of queries used to seek extremist content, compare trends across the industry, and advise techniques for better finding and mitigating harm.”
Smart technology is no different from this AI assistant. Right now, our televisions, wearables (like smart watches), and even home appliances are listening as they await an instruction from its user. Suleyman seconds this, and says these devices are “recording continuously everywhere” as is. It would be up to each user as to whether they’ll be embracing the tech, or minimising the amount of “listeners” their technological devices are doing.
