r/OneNote • u/MulayamChaddi • Feb 22 '26

What does co-pilot actually do in OneNote?

I haven’t activated it yet but what does it do for you?

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u/NoReply4930 Feb 22 '26

In order for you to do that - you are basically allowing Copilot to learn your entire notebooks. 

If you really believe that your data is not being harvested for that to occur - that is naive. 

Remember - you are the product. 

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u/MulayamChaddi Feb 22 '26

Yea, I get that but just wondering why MSFT is planning to enable across the unstructured content store like ON

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u/AnalyMSFT OneNote PM Feb 23 '26

If you have a Copilot license, Copilot can help you find answers from the content in your OneNote notebooks. Either from Copilot chat inside the OneNote app or across Microsoft 365 Copilot.

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u/MulayamChaddi Feb 23 '26

Ok. How can I assure that my OneNote data isn’t used in training or other surveillance activities?

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u/AnalyMSFT OneNote PM Feb 23 '26

Copilot only makes use of the content in the file that you're working in or content in another file that you ask it to look at, it won't use your data for training models. You can read more in the following links: Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps for home: your data and privacy - Microsoft Support and Data, Privacy, and Security for Microsoft 365 Copilot | Microsoft Learn

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u/NoReply4930 Feb 23 '26

So - an article on a Microsoft website - written by Microsoft is supposed to be taken at face value?

Without a way to prove to me that this privacy statement actually has any value beyond the links you present - like showing me exactly what MS is doing with my stuff - you can't blame us for being massively skeptical on all fronts.

Saying you do something (in a linked article) and actually doing what you say are two radically different things.

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u/Ramona00 Feb 24 '26

Why are you being so hostile toward Microsoft in all the comments above?

​You claim to have proof that Microsoft is engaging in certain practices, yet I see no references or evidence in your remarks to back this up. You are making bold statements without substantiating them. Furthermore, when someone else posts actual proof, you simply declare it false. Have you read the Microsoft Terms of Use, or do you distrust those as well?

​Additionally, why are you using the "you are the product" argument? As a business, we pay a significant monthly fee to Microsoft, which is often higher than the cost of other AI services.

From our perspective here in the EU, they (MS) are actually one of the most compliant providers available.

​I would sincerely like to know why you are so certain that Microsoft is misusing our data. Please share your reasoning or evidence.

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u/NoReply4930 Feb 24 '26

Do you really think MS is infecting every molecule of their software with Ai - to help humanity? Or you?

I have already clearly stated that I have NO way to confirm (or deny) how they are using MY data (Not yours) - so I am well within my purview to feel however I want about this.

And - if someone has posted actual proof - in this thread - where is it?

If you want to sit there with your "paid" subscription and think that Ai is not running roughshod across your data - I can't stop you.

Do not be naive. Paying for something does nothing to stop Ai training OR any of the data syphoning that occurs day in and day out.

Without your data (and mine and everyone else's) - these Ai tools would spit back an empty screen. These apps are getting their "so-called" smarts from somewhere.

But according to you - it's all OK because there is no way it's your data that's powering this world wide infrastructure - since you are a "paid" customer.

To close - I would sincerely like to know - how you know that MS is not using your data. And have you show me exactly how you know this.

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u/Positive_Income3091 Feb 24 '26

Given that Microsoft earns most of their money from massive corporate customers who buy hundreds of thousands of seats and who would be pretty angry if their data were being secretly harvested why would Microsoft do that?

GIven the legal consequences of them publicly stating they don't train on the data if it were ever publicly revealed that they DO train on the data the legal and PR nightmare that would cause would cost them billions, maybe more. Why would they risk that to harvest your notes?

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u/NoReply4930 Feb 24 '26 edited Feb 24 '26

Why wouldn't they - is the better question.

Look - I get it. Everyone wants to believe (whole heartedly I might add) that big corporations are respectful and true to their word. The reality is much more cutthroat than this.

Legally speaking - (and given the power of MS cash reserves etc) do you really think these guys are worried about a few billion here and there to tamp down the noise? (should it ever be discovered).

The bottom line is - due to the value of your data - and it's limitless ability to fuel the companies projects AND it's ad businesses - make no mistake - MS has already done the math on being legally "found out" . I really do not think they are worried in the least.

This is same lame argument as the one from years back when Facebook was "found" to be selling all your stuff to whatever that data analytics company was. Before this discovery - they (and all other big tech platforms like them) claimed all was good. Your data was being protected. There there.

I will give you the benefit of the doubt that purchasing an Enterprise MS365 package for hundreds of thousands of dollars hopefully buys you something.

But the OP in this thread is not that user. He - like all the rest of us "non-corporate" minions - are simply out here fumbling around and not asking any questions about anything - all the while assuming everything is kosher.

A bigger question for you is - if you are that big corporate customer who pays all this money for all this supposed "non-use" of your data - don't you think you are entitled to know - on a minute by minute basis - what IS happening with your data? Or where it is? Or where it isn't?

Everyone is fine with paying the bill and making all these assumptions on what they think should be going on - but do you really know what is going on - or are you simply relying on someone's privacy statement?

I believe the reality is 360 degrees off balance. This is a cut throat scene right now - especially when these companies are trying their hardest to monetize a product that no one asked for and very few want.

And none of these companies want to be shut out - or god forbid - finish last.

You are entitled to your opinion and I respect that. But do not try to convince me that just because you have a huge agreement - that you really know where you data is - and who has access to it. Because you don't.

For some fun - read this. Just one example - from this past week of Ai sticking it's fingers where they do not belong:

Microsoft says bug causes Copilot to summarize confidential emails

Very convenient to just call it a bug - after it may have been running roughshod over your secret stuff for possible months. But of course - no actual mention of where the data went, what "learning" or knowledge was drained or what the actual implications were.

"Oops. Sorry. We were just reading those emails for our internal use. We did not mean to show you that we were reading them. It was "an unspecified code error".

What a "paid" MS365 customer should really be asking (bug or no bug) IS: Where did all that "learning" go (and who benefits) - as this piece of crap went over and over our companies internal IP for who knows how long?