Microsoft's Connected Experiences option in its productivity suite has been causing consternation amid accusations that the default setting might allow Microsoft to train AI models using customers' Word and Excel documents and other data.

Microsoft has denies rumors of using Microsoft 365 customer data data to train AI models. The company took to social media and shared statements to explain its Connected Experiences within Microsoft 365.

Microsoft’s use of so-called ‘Connected Experiences’ has come under scrutiny following claims it collected user-generated content to train its AI models. The latest claims stem from an X post by @nixCraft, who accuses Microsoft of turning on an opt-out feature that automatically scrapes Word and Excel documents for AI training.