I was listening to the latest (4/8) Windows Weekly podcast this morning, and Paul (Thurrott) started describing a recent (October 2025) change to Microsoft’s Copilot Terms of Service. I’m glad someone reads these things. I certainly don’t. But what he was describing was so hilarious that I thought he was making it up. So, I went to research.
Microsoft Copilot Terms of Use
Yeah, it’s real. Here are some of my favorite nuggets:
- Copilot is for entertainment purposes only. 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.
- Copilot tries to give you good answers, but it can make mistakes. Sometimes, the sources Copilot uses may not be reliable, relevant, or accurate, and sometimes, Copilot may give you wrong information. When responding, Copilot may use information it finds on the internet, and we don’t control that content. You might see Responses that seem convincing but are incomplete, inaccurate, or inappropriate.
- We plan to continue to develop and improve Copilot, but we make no guarantees or promises about how Copilot will operate or that it will operate as intended.
- You agree to indemnify us and hold us harmless (including our affiliates, employees and any other agents) from and against any claims, losses, and expenses (including attorneys' fees) arising from or relating to your use of Copilot, including without limitation your use, sharing, or publication of any Prompt, Responses, or Creations, or your breach of these Terms or violation of applicable law.
Really? So, what I’m gathering is that you don’t stand behind what this produces, I shouldn’t trust it because it’s only for entertainment, and when it does produce utterly inaccurate information, you’re totally not liable for it.
Cool.
Look, I grant you that these are the terms of use for individuals. And every other AI company is going to say the same thing. But come on. Every fucking news story I see has something to do with AI and its grandiose (false) promises. It just makes me angry to see all of the marketing (dollars and mindshare) and “see how magical this is” messaging to the unwashed (i.e. the non-technical public) that I want to rip my arm off just so I have something to throw at them.
