Microsoft Responsible AI Standard

This document sets out Microsoft's binding rules for how its AI systems, including Copilot, must be built and used responsibly, requiring equal treatment, human oversight, and strong privacy and security protections. If you use Copilot at work, your organization's existing security rules automatically apply, and only people with the right permissions can see what Copilot generates. You can update your privacy preferences at any time through Copilot Privacy settings.

The Microsoft Responsible AI Standard establishes a defined framework of six core values—Fairness, Reliability and Safety, Privacy and Security, Transparency, Accountability, and Inclusiveness—that govern how Microsoft designs, builds, and operates AI systems across their full lifecycle. The document imposes affirmative obligations on AI use, including the maintenance of human oversight, responsible validation of AI models, implementation of AI governance tooling such as the Responsible AI Dashboard, and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements alongside avoidance of harmful bias. It establishes that Copilot's access to generated content is gated by permissions, that existing organizational security and compliance requirements are inherited when Copilot is used in work contexts, and that users may manage their privacy preferences at any time through Copilot Privacy settings. The five enumerated ethical considerations for generative AI use—bias and fairness, privacy and security, transparency and accountability, inclusiveness, and reliability and safety—are framed as requirements rather than aspirational guidance.

This document means that Microsoft's AI systems, including Copilot, are required to treat users equally, avoid discrimination based on personal characteristics, and keep personal data secure while remembering relevant details about daily life. Human oversight is a stated obligation, so AI outputs are not fully autonomous. Copilot-generated content at work is restricted to users with the right permissions, and your organization's existing security and compliance controls carry over automatically. As a concrete action: you can manage your privacy preferences at any time by visiting your Copilot Privacy settings.