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Microsoft has issued an official statement clarifying that its Gaming Copilot feature only accesses gameplay screenshots when users are actively engaged with the AI tool. The tech giant has also emphasised that these screenshots are not used to train AI models.
The clarification came after a user on the ResetEra forums raised privacy concerns, claiming their system's network traffic showed the AI feature sending information about their actions, including private on-screen details, to Microsoft's servers. This came after the company recently launched the Gaming Copilot feature as a public beta on Windows 11 through the operating system's built-in Xbox Game Bar.
What Microsoft said about the new Gaming Copilot feature
In a statement to Tom's Hardware, a Microsoft representative explained: “When you're actively using Gaming Copilot in Game Bar, it can use screenshots of your gameplay to get a better understanding of what's happening in your game and provide you with more helpful responses.”The company stressed that Gaming Copilot is optional and only accesses gameplay during active use. Microsoft separately noted that text or voice conversations with Gaming Copilot may be used to train and improve AI systems. Users can modify the feature's privacy settings through the Game Bar's Settings menu under “Privacy Settings.”
What was the controversy surrounding the Gaming Copilot feature
The controversy began with a forum post where a user named RedbullCola wrote: “This installed automatically on my PC, and watching the network traffic, I realised (sic) it was automatically sending everything I was doing to Microsoft (including an NDA'd game I'm playing. I checked the settings, and by default, it's set to train on text seen on the screen — it screenshots everything, and OCRs text from in-game and sends it to MS. MS then uses what you're doing to train their AI models.”Currently, it's unclear whether Gaming Copilot sends screenshot data to an external server or processes it locally using the system's built-in NPU.
We've sent follow-up questions to Microsoft.Xbox Support does not list the required specifications to run the feature, but the company says it will “begin rolling out to players aged 18 and older on PC Game Bar.”The feature works on devices that aren't Copilot+ certified (i.e., those without built-in NPUs). The report notes that when tested on a gaming PC with a non-AI processor (also enrolled in the Xbox Insider Program), the Gaming Copilot feature was accessible.The 'Model training on text' toggle also does not provide detailed information about the type of text it captures, the report added.It's important to note that users don’t need to turn on Gaming Copilot if they prefer not to use it. The company says it only takes screenshots when users are actively engaging with the feature, and that the AI training feature can be disabled in settings. However, if users want to remove it entirely, there's no straightforward uninstallation method as it's built into the Game Bar. Removing the Xbox Game Bar requires running PowerShell with administrator privileges to uninstall it from the system.
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