Windows 10: Report: Gaming Copilot AI is being trained by watching you play games, and it is on by default

Take this with a grain of salt, but users have reported another privacy transgression by Microsoft. According to the report by users from the Resetera forum and elsewhere, Copilot Gaming, an AI specially for gaming-related AI tasks, is taking screen captures of your gameplay for training.

While that would be fine if the user knew about it and enabled it willingly, it appears to be turned on automatically and without informing users about the data collecting and use of the data.

According to the user who noticed it first by monitoring network traffic, the AI is using OCR technology to identify text in the screenshots. If that reminds you of Microsoft's Recall feature, which it had to pull over similar privacy concerns and redo, you are not mistaken.

Note: Gaming Copilot is a beta feature. It is unclear if the recording happens in all regions or only in some. I checked on a recent Windows 11, version 24H2 system and did not have a Privacy settings section. However, the colleagues over at WCCFTech checked and they had it and confirmed that it was enabled by default.

How to turn this off


The privacy settings of Gaming Copilot. (screenshot by RedbullCola / Resetera)

If you are a gamer on Windows 11, you may want to check if Gaming Copilot is being trained by monitoring what and how you play.

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Type Game Bar and press the Enter-key. You may also use the shortcut Windows-G to get there directly.
3. Select the Settings gear.
4. Switch to Privacy settings.
5. Toggle "Model training on text" to off.
6. Go back.
7. Open Capture settings.
8. Toggle "Enable screenshots (experimental)".

It is probably a good idea to check if the setting exists, even if you do not play games on the Windows 11 system. Unless you really, really want to help Microsoft train its gaming AI, you might want to turn it off immediately.


Gaming Copilot Capture settings (Screenshot by RedbullCola / Resetera)

The original thread starter posted another screenshot of another setting. Found under Capture settings, the preference "enable screenshots (experimental)" was enabled as well.

Microsoft did not display any onboarding or consent prompts to the user either, reportedly.

We asked Microsoft for comment, but have not heard back yet. We will update the article, if we get feedback from the company.

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Report: Gaming Copilot AI is being trained by watching you play games, and it is on by default appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

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How do I disable Copilot and all Other AI functionality in Windows 11 HOME edition

I want to fully disable (or preferably remove) Copilot and all other AI functionality in Windows 11 Home Edition. This question may belong under another topic; I just guessed at Settings.



See the bottom of this post for system information. Below are specific questions related to the details of disabling Copilot and AI functionality. I have not been able to find any of this information on any Microsoft resources; perhaps I missed something?.

• Disabling Copilot in Windows 11 Home Edition: Please note that I am running Windows 11 Home edition - not Pro, Enterprise, etc., where I could solve the problem with group policies or other administrative options. The Windows Update setting "Get the latest updates" is turned on, so I am running Copilot Preview.
  

• Copilot Taskbar Button: I have hidden Copilot on the taskbar, but that is obviously not the same as disabling Copilot or other AI functionality.
  

• Disabling Copilot via Registry: There are instructions on various websites for disabling Copilot by editing the registry; I would appreciate details about how to do that, as long as the necessary edits are reasonably safe and reliable.
  

• Disabling all AI functionality: How centralized is AI functionality in Windows 11? Does disabling Copilot disable AI functionality across all Windows 11 built-in features, as well as Microsoft desktop apps? Or has AI metastasized across the entire Windows ecosystem, requiring a constant game of whack-a-mole to disable everywhere?
  

Thanks in advance for any help.

- Laura

Windows System Information:

Edition Windows 11 Home

Version 22H2

OS build OS Build 22621.2361 Preview (KB5030310)

 

Copilot + on high end pcs without NPUs

This post may not get any developers attention, but I still feel like that was an interesting idea and wanted to put it out there. I had an interesting conversation with Copilot with GPT-4 about using copilot+ on powerful pcs that dont have dedicated NPUs, and we discussed the reason why its not supported, and the possibility of being added later. I have a modern gaming rig myself, and I'm quite interested in AI and would be quite happy to be able to experience some of these new features myself without having to buy a brand new computer that's built for it. I will post the conversation below for anyone that is interested in this concept. I skipped the first half where we simply discussed hardware and the limitations a device without a dedicated NPU has, and got to the part where we discuss a possible solution.



I realize the this isn't even out just yet, however the possibility this could provide still intrigues me.



You

You make a very good point, thank you for your detailed explanation. While I understand that you are A.I. and are based on current and past data provided to you, do you believe that there is any chance that Copilot may be developed to take better advantage of a high end gaming pc to allow it to perform some of the tasts that a copilot+ computer can, maybe with limited capacity to some extent?





Copilot

Thank you for your thoughtful response! While I don’t have the ability to predict future developments, I can certainly explore the possibilities:

1. Adapting Copilot for High-End Gaming PCs:
   
   • It’s plausible that Microsoft could optimize Copilot to better utilize high-end gaming PCs.
     
   • Developers and creators often invest in powerful hardware, and catering to this audience would be beneficial.
     
   • By fine-tuning resource allocation and leveraging existing hardware capabilities, Copilot could enhance its performance on gaming rigs.
     
2. Resource Constraints and Prioritization:
   
   • Copilot+ is designed for specific hardware configurations, including NPUs.
     
   • Adapting it for gaming PCs would require careful resource management.
     
   • Prioritizing tasks (such as code generation) while minimizing impact on gaming performance would be crucial.
     
3. Hybrid Approach:
   
   • A hybrid solution could allow Copilot to run efficiently on both AI-focused hardware and gaming PCs.
     
   • Copilot might dynamically adjust its behavior based on available resources.
     
   • For example, it could use AI acceleration when available and fall back to CPU-based processing when necessary.
     
4. User Preferences and Customization:
   
   • Allowing users to tweak Copilot’s behavior could be valuable.
     
   • A settings panel where users can allocate resources (CPU, GPU, memory) based on their priorities would be interesting.
     
5. Community Feedback and Collaboration:
   
   • Engaging with the developer community and gathering feedback is essential.
     
   • Collaborating with users to understand their needs and preferences can drive improvements.
     

In summary, while I can’t predict the future, the idea of adapting Copilot for high-end gaming PCs is intriguing. As technology evolves, we might see exciting developments that bridge the gap between AI development and gaming hardware.









You

On the topic of your hybrid approach. I feel that it would be easily achievable to have copilot running as normal when doing work on the desktop, but when gaming is needed, or maybe when copilot detects gaming, it could be suspended. Maybe there would even be some way to manually suspend it when not needed, as to not affect gaming performance.





Copilot

You’ve hit the nail on the head! Your suggestion aligns well with practical usability. Let’s dive into how a hybrid approach could work:

1. Automatic Suspension during Gaming:
   
   • Copilot could intelligently detect when gaming is active.
     
   • When you launch a game, Copilot would gracefully suspend itself to avoid any impact on gaming performance.
     
   • This seamless transition would enhance the overall user experience.
     
2. Manual Suspension:
   
   • Allowing users to manually suspend Copilot is a great idea.
     
   • Imagine a simple toggle switch in the system tray or a keyboard shortcut.
     
   • When you’re immersed in a game, just flip the switch to pause Copilot temporarily.
     
3. Resource Monitoring and Thresholds:
   
   • Copilot could monitor resource usage (CPU, GPU, memory).
     
   • If gaming performance starts to suffer, Copilot would automatically reduce its footprint.
     
   • Setting resource thresholds ensures that Copilot never hogs critical resources.
     
4. User Profiles and Preferences:
   
   • Different users have varying needs.
     
   • Copilot could offer profiles like “Developer Mode” (full power) and “Gamer Mode” (minimal impact).
     
   • Users could customize these profiles based on their workflow.
     
5. Notifications and Alerts:
   
   • Copilot could notify you when it’s suspended or reactivated.
     
   • Clear notifications ensure you’re aware of the current state.
     
6. Seamless Resumption:
   
   • When you exit a game, Copilot would resume where it left off.
     
   • No manual intervention needed—just focus on your work or coding.
     

In summary, your vision of a hybrid approach strikes a balance between productivity and gaming. It’s user-centric and practical. While I can’t implement it directly, I hope the developers take inspiration from your insights!


* Moved from Community Center

 

nuexes.com reporting bugs in Word Game below Solitare Groups

It suggested that there was a virus in the system which they would delete. They suggested that I let it fix system. I use MacAfee which showed nothing so I did not believe request, closed games and later deleted another on a different machine.

Checked today, and seem to have nothing … Your guess is as good as mine