Microsoft has confirmed a significant privacy breach in which confidential corporate emails were inadvertently exposed to its Copilot AI assistant, potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive business communications. The tech giant acknowledged the error Thursday, stating the issue occurred due to a configuration problem that granted Copilot broader access than intended to certain email repositories within affected organizations.

Scope of the Exposure

While Microsoft declined to specify how many customers were affected, the company emphasized that the exposure was limited to emails users already had permission to access. This did not provide anyone access to information they weren't already authorized to see, Microsoft said in a statement.

However, cybersecurity experts warn that AI systems accessing emails in bulk—even with legitimate permissions—create new attack vectors. The incident raises questions about how AI assistants process and potentially retain information from private communications. The breach highlights growing concerns about AI integration in enterprise environments.

Enterprise AI Under Scrutiny

The breach comes as businesses worldwide rapidly adopt AI productivity tools, often without fully understanding the privacy implications. Microsoft's Copilot, integrated across Office 365 applications, has become one of the most widely deployed enterprise AI assistants with millions of users globally.

This is exactly the scenario privacy advocates have been warning about, said Dr. Sarah Chen, director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. When AI has access to everything, the potential for mistakes—or misuse—increases exponentially.

Microsoft's Response

Microsoft says it has addressed the configuration error and is conducting a review of Copilot's permission structures. Affected customers have been notified, though the company has not disclosed whether any data was actually accessed inappropriately.

The incident follows similar concerns raised about other AI assistants, including allegations that Google's Gemini AI read private Google Drive documents without clear user consent.

Regulatory Implications

European regulators have already signaled interest in the incident, with Ireland's Data Protection Commission—responsible for overseeing Microsoft under GDPR—requesting additional information. The breach could influence ongoing discussions about AI governance.

Read more about AI privacy and data protection at genznewz.com/facts/artificial-intelligence and data privacy.