Copilot Is 'For Entertainment Purposes Only,' According To Microsoft's ToS 66
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: AI skeptics aren't the only ones warning users not to unthinkingly trust models' outputs -- that's what the AI companies say themselves in their terms of service. Take Microsoft, which is currently focused on getting corporate customers to pay for Copilot. But it's also been getting dinged on social media over Copilot's terms of use, which appear to have been last updated on October 24, 2025. "Copilot is for entertainment purposes only," the company warned. "It can make mistakes, and it may not work as intended. Don't rely on Copilot for important advice. Use Copilot at your own risk." Microsoft described the terms of service as "legacy language," saying it will be updated.
Tom's Hardware notes that similar AI warnings remain common across the industry, with companies like OpenAI and xAI also cautioning users not to treat chatbot output as "the truth" or as "a sole service of truth or factual information."
Tom's Hardware notes that similar AI warnings remain common across the industry, with companies like OpenAI and xAI also cautioning users not to treat chatbot output as "the truth" or as "a sole service of truth or factual information."
"for entertainment purposes only" (Score:3, Insightful)
Sure, why not just pass all your sensitive personal and corporate data through a "thinking machine," "for entertainment purposes only." Sounds like a great plan that smart people would do. /sarcasm
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Sure, why not just pass all your sensitive personal and corporate data through a "thinking machine," "for entertainment purposes only." Sounds like a great plan that smart people would do. /sarcasm
Because Microsoft knows that you pay and use all their other easily breachable low security software without any warranty or fitness for any use and always have since the mid-1970s!
This is why almost every platform for Internet services DOES NOT USE Microsoft software. Because finding a security breach or bug can take months or years for Microsoft to fix. If they ever do...
At least, with Open Source software you can fix it or swap it out.
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I'm still running Win10 Pro on my laptop and tower, and High Sierra on my MacMini... no security breaches, and that's with no antivirus/antimalware running, just my router's firewall.
Sure, it'd be vulnerable if you just hooked your cable modem straight to it (assuming the modem itself has no firewall), so the internet could see the computer.
If you are running Linux 2.6, if you didn't have it behind a firewall, that's asking for it, unless you're careful.
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This is why almost every platform for Internet services DOES NOT USE Microsoft software.
This is just plain not true. Microsoft has about 1/4 of the global cloud computing market and, if nothing else, the number of things that just use Entra for auth is insane. I'm not suggesting this is a good thing, I'm just saying your claim that Microsoft is some kind of edge case in "internet service" is ridiculous.
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It seems like every large or midsize business uses Teams for interoffice communication and meetings now.
I don't think that most of them LIKE it because it's flaky software, but it comes bundled with your Office 365 subscription so you're kinda stuck with it.
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I think the main reason is that it makes the PHBs feel like they know something technical.
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There is typically some corporate data security regulations on what public systems you can use to communicate company internal information with. Corporate does not like every team using whatever they want, because this means more systems to keep tracking for security breaches, proper user account closure when people leave etc. Or worse, no tracking because they aren't even aware of them.
So it makes sense to reduce the number of available tools that are acceptable to use. And if Teams is already installed fo
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It's really the same bundling issue that made Microsoft temporarily win the browser wars with IE6 back in the day.
And it appears to not be working as well as it used to. Look at Microsoft's stock price over the last 5 months.
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This is why almost every platform for Internet services DOES NOT USE Microsoft software. Because finding a security breach or bug can take months or years for Microsoft to fix. If they ever do...
At least, with Open Source software you can fix it or swap it out.
I omitted the critical aspect of infrastructure and internet-facing services with open ports providing essential services. This discussion focuses on Windows users, not Microsoft itself—whose own source code availability should compel them to address vulnerabilities internally rather than leaving users dependent on their arbitrary timelines and priorities.
Like most Linux users on the Internet, Windows users face significant security challenges when running internet-facing services.
Few companies that want to have reliable Internet facing services do it with Windows. Even Microsoft Azure has more Linux than Windows deployments.
Do Oracle run their internet-facing servers on Windows? What about Facebook or Google?
If you require scale, security, and reliability for internet-facing services, along with the right to repair when issues arise, Microsoft is not the appropriate platform. They provide no warranty for any deployments and may never address bugs or critical vulnerabilities in a timely manner.
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Everything is Copilot (Score:4, Informative)
Can confirm (Score:5, Funny)
2/22/26 - thing happened
2/23/26 - meeting with whoever
And the completely unpromoted and unrequested in any way summary was "a list of events that happened in Feb 1926"
So it is sort of entertaining, except I had shit to do that day other than babysitting a useless vibe coded pile of garbage that's raising my RAM and SSD and electricity prices, which is significantly less entertaining now that I think of it.
Re: Can confirm (Score:1)
Do you recognize yet how your negative mood on AI is not going to stop it, and post here because misery loves company?
misery loves company (Score:2)
Frustrated incorporated
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It does, actually. Not from a direct hit of course, that would need tens of meters of reinforced concrete and radiation shielding, but the vast majority of nuclear attacks don't hit you directly. And for that, getting out of the line of sight and into a place somewhat protected from flying debris is a very good idea.
On the other hand, swearing at Word, or any Microsoft product for that matter, is the default mode of operation, and is not going to help. If Copilot ever gains sentience, then based on its c
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Now I live pretty close to Vorkel in The Netherlands. It is a public "secret" that "our nukes" are stored there.
So in WW III I'm dead anyway lol
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> If Copilot ever gains sentience,
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I think they want to keep datacenters out of their backyard because they are worried about their electricity rates and they become one of the few targets at which the ordinary citizen can shoot.
Re: Can confirm (Score:1)
Do you now understand what it feels like to be a tree-hugger in Washington state, fruitlessly petitioning the Department of Natural Resources for redress of grievances, as logging rolls on unabated?
It is rather amazing (Score:5, Insightful)
In what other industry can you say,
"We think our product is great/safe/reliable/... but no we absolutely won't stand behind it if anything goes wrong." and have that no impact the marketability.
I am not talking legal or anything like that, just purely from a sales and customer relationship perspective.
Just imagine a GM ad;
"The 2026 Silverado our most capable pickup ever!" - Read in deep dramatic voice
"Remember Chevrolote Silverado models are for entertainment purposely" -Read as the image fades to black in higher pitch at 2x speed.
It would be scandal..but when Microsoft does it, hardly anyone even blinks.
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It would be scandal..but when Microsoft does it, hardly anyone even blinks.
to continue your analogy, lots of people are blinking. lots of people are raising alarms. lots of people are reminding others every day of the risks.
that there are more sheep than border collies is no surprise.
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I mean they already do say stuff like that. The fine print will say something about a professional driver on a closed course.
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Every industry does this.
From Housing inspectors and plumbers, to software products - it is super common. I just had plumber put this into their contract for replacing a cast-iron drain with PVC. Then I had the tub reglazed and they did the same thing. There are often two prices, based on if you want a guarantee behind it or not. I paid a structural engineer to inspect the foundation of my prior to purchase. While he said the cracks were normal setting, the price was $200 for the inspection + verbal as
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Except that comparison (and TFS) has this completely incorrect. Here's the actual GM ad;
"The 2026 Silverado our most capable pickup ever!" - Read in deep dramatic voice
"Remember Chevrolote Spark models are for entertainment purposely" -Read as the image fades to black in higher pitch at 2x speed.
The Copilot being sold to corporations is a different product that acts different and does different things than the consumer one with the ToS. If you have a corporate Copilot licence, every query will have a button
Re: It is rather amazing (Score:1)
> In what other industry can you say,
"We think our product is great/safe/reliable/... but no we absolutely won't stand behind it if anything goes wrong."
Open source software?
so like faux news (Score:5, Funny)
Due to this news, I suggest we refer to it from here on out as "fauxpilot".
Sounds about right (Score:2)
It's always been a toy. Just a very expensive one.
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Nope (Score:2)
There is nothing entertaining about enshitification.
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"Entertainment purposes only" Note that they don't say *whose* entertainment.
'Entertainment Purposes Only' (Score:1)
Does this mean we can throw co-pilot on the same pile as horoscopes, personality tests, and healing crystals?
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it just proves that (Score:2)
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Best Damn Description of Windows I've EVER HEARD!!!!!
I'm not surprised... (Score:2)
Half the world runs on VBA for Office applications (or used to, it's probably less now), and VBA for Office has never been officially supported by Microsoft. You're on your own if you choose to use it.
It's never the tools responsbility (Score:2)
Disclaimers like this apply to Excel, TurboTax, GCC, ChatGPT, and more: The user is ultimately responsible for the application. The manufacturers always disclaim responsibility.
You can get companies to stand behind products and accept liability or sign a Business Associate Agreement - but you are going to have to put it in a contract and pay extra for it. This is why the product you buy at Home Depot and the one the government/military/NASA buys has a very big price difference even if it is the exact same
Funny! Maybe Microsoft needs to tell Microsoft! (Score:2)
believe what Microsoft says "consumer grade for consumer tasks".
Microsoft-pulls-then-re-issues-windows-11-preview-update [slashdot.org]
BULLSHIT. (Score:2)
"for entertainment purposes only"
That's damn well not how they're selling it!
Entertainment, huh? (Score:2)
As a 15 year Linux user, I consider Microsoft itself to be "for entertainment purposes only".. I'm a retired Windows admin, but after I retired in 2010, I switched my systems 100% to Linux, but.. to make a few bux on the side, I hold my nose, and support a few customers on Windows.. Since Windows 10 was assassinated last year, I've managed to move a growing number of clients over to KUbuntu. To show my distaste for the crap that IS Windows 11, I charge $25/hr, 2 hour min, on Linux, and if they're still on 1
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Re: Entertainment, huh? (Score:2)
Apple introduced a $600 iPad with a keyboard.
It's (Mac) Netbook 2.0, nothing more than that.
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It runs MacOS and it's pretty fast, unlike any netbook ever.
Yeah it's got gimped specs but they will be fine for most users, unlike netbooks.
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Apple introduced a $600 iPad with a keyboard.
That is a different model, the iPad Pro. The Neo runs MacOS.
It's (Mac) Netbook 2.0, nothing more than that.
Sure, if you want to live in denial. You can read or watch reviews of it online that details that is not true. Most if not all reviews say the same thing: It is a pretty good $600 laptop. It has flaws and it is not the best laptop but for your average consumer the price and capabilities align.
Re: Entertainment, huh? (Score:2)
Its damn sure a FACT that Windows 11 is the best advertisement for Linux..
Please, explain why that advertising campaign isn't winning over more converts? Have Linux usage numbers gone up dramatically since Win 10 went off-support?
Real people that care about security updates (a small minority of the computer using population) don't complain that their 7-10 year-old computer is no longer supported and needs to be upgraded, and people that don't care about security updates won't update their 7-10 year-old computer and happily run Win 10 a few more years.
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Yes. Linux desktop useage has gion up around 400% since the start of the 2020s
Microsoft itself to be for entertainment purposes (Score:1)
Entertainment like... (Score:2)
...laughing uncontrollably at its extremely poor quality
What are the odds (Score:2)
I just got the encl nastygram from our corporate IT ....Microsoft Copilot MS 365 protects our intell
"We have recently noticed your use of unapproved AI tools, which creates a risk of data leakage. You must not use any AI tools that have not been officially approved when working with business-related information. This includes data such as profits, order quantities, and similar metrics, as well as MS Office files, emails, or any other content containing business information.
We want you to use MS 365 Copilot.
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Or maybe... you'll get to lead the local AI project to protect your company's knowledge from being freely given to (extracted by) Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or Meta.
What is the liability for any of these companies when your company's use of their products becomes "training data" that any other customer can view with just the correct prompt.
After all, "it is for entertainment purposes only."
SLA (Score:2)
I guess those paying lots of €€€ for a SLA will be able to get Microsoft to say anything in their licensing terms and get Windows altered accordingly.
It's the people that get their Microsoft stuff off the shelf who are getting messed with.
*Sigh* Another ignorant article (Score:2)
As fun as the ToS comparison is, the reality it no Microsoft is *not* getting Corporations to pay for the use of Copilot which has that language in the ToS. That Copilot ToS is for individual consumers. It's significantly different not just in terms of Terms of Service, but also in actual function to what corporate Copilot is. In fact if you are a corporation that pays for Copilot licenses, your users will be presented with a button to switch between the different Copilots during every query because they wo
In future "for entertainment only" news (Score:2)
Copilot becomes an evening contributor on a self-proclaimed "for entertainment purposes only" network, bringing "fair and balanced" news, opinions and information ...
"It can make mistakes, and it may not work as intended. Don't rely on Copilot for important advice. Use Copilot at your own risk."
entertainment purposes means it's a game, right? (Score:2)
So... sounds like they have copilot under the wrong division. This should be marketed by the XBox team instead of business applications.
Microsoft admits their abuses (Score:2)
That's why Microsoft attempts again to block Google Chrome, forcing Windows users to share their data with Microsoft is entertaining. I wonder if all the corporations forced to fight Microsoft Edge, feel entertained, as well as Google which is again being sabotaged by Microsoft.
It makes someone pray that gunmen visit Microsoft's CEO: The CEO can keep the three bullets fired into his body, they are purely for entertainment. Okay, attacking a web-browser isn't life-threatening. But it's the same "don't
So they just admitted (Score:1)
Snakeoil (Score:2)
Ah, yes, the same cautionary notice they have to put on psychics, palm readers and tarot readers in my country.
Because even the government realise that they're just talking bollocks.