July 10, 2025

  Analyst Report

Trust but Verify Your Data in Microsoft’s AI Services

My Atlas / Analyst Reports

1,862 wordsTime to read: 10 min
by
David Berry

David specializes in SharePoint and Microsoft 365. He spent 25 years as a solution architect and advisor consulting with Fortune... more

  • The Microsoft Generative AI Services clause explains Microsoft’s terms for customers using its AI services, use of their data, and ownership of the output.
  • Microsoft offers AI copyright protection, but few customers will meet the conditions required to use it.
  • Compliance with Microsoft’s terms will likely require additional services and costs, plus training and education for employees.

The explosion of AI has raised customers’ concerns regarding how their data is used by Microsoft and who has ownership rights to the output. Consequently, Microsoft added the Microsoft Generative AI Services clause to its terms, confirming it will not train AI models on customer data and that customers own their output content. Furthermore, Microsoft offers to protect customers against claims of copyright infringement that arise from using Microsoft’s AI products. To take advantage of these protections, customers must meet significant requirements spanning governance, education, and technology. As a result, most customers are unlikely to ever be able to use the Generative AI Services clause protection and should still consult their own legal counsel to determine their risk exposure.

Atlas Members have full access

Get access to this and thousands of other unbiased analyses, roadmaps, decision kits, infographics, reference guides, and more, all included with membership. Comprehensive access to the most in-depth and unbiased expertise for Microsoft enterprise decision-making is waiting.

Membership Options

Already have an account? Login Now