Microsoft’s Gaming Copilot Is Secretly Training Its AI on Your Gameplay Data

Microsoft’s Gaming Copilot – a supposedly helpful AI assistant built into Windows 11 – has turned out to be far more watchful than many gamers expected. Reports have surfaced that it quietly records what you play, takes screenshots, and even collects snippets of your voice chat or in-game conversations. All of that data, unless you manually disable it, is being sent back to Microsoft for AI training purposes.

Yes, you read that right: your gaming sessions may literally be teaching Microsoft’s AI how to behave.

The discovery came from a user on ResetEra who noticed that their network traffic was sending back small data packets and captures to Microsoft’s servers while Gaming Copilot was running. Digging deeper, others found that in Windows 11’s Game Bar → Settings → Privacy, the option for “Model training on text” is turned on by default. When Wccftech and other outlets verified this, they confirmed the same behavior – screenshots and game activity logs are automatically collected unless the user opts out.

Digging through the menu reveals additional toggles: one for allowing the AI to train on vocal conversations, another for personalization and memory data, and a third for interactions you have directly with Gaming Copilot. While the voice capture is at least switched off by default, the rest are not. To regain your privacy, you must go into Game Bar → Gaming Copilot → Settings → Privacy and disable every training option manually. It’s a clunky, confusing setup – one that feels deliberately buried rather than designed for transparency.

What frustrates many is that this comes at a time when Microsoft’s image among gamers is already in shambles. In recent months, Xbox console prices rose in the US – twice in one year – followed by an increase in the cost of Xbox developer kits, squeezing indie creators. Then, Xbox Game Pass prices shot up by 50%, and various rewards and discount programs quietly disappeared. Now, with AI creeping into gameplay data collection, many players feel they’ve become the product rather than the customer.

All of this fits an increasingly cynical pattern. Microsoft, like much of Big Tech, has laid off thousands – over 15,000 people in the past year alone – while CEO Satya Nadella pocketed tens of millions. The company publicly preaches innovation and AI progress but often at the cost of trust. It’s not that AI-assisted gaming tools are inherently bad; contextual help and smarter UI are useful ideas. But secretly siphoning gameplay data, even screenshots, without clear and upfront consent? That crosses a line for many users who value autonomy over convenience.

For privacy-minded gamers, alternatives like Linux or Windows 11 LTSC (which ships without Copilot and other telemetry-heavy features) are gaining renewed attention. The message from the community is clear: if Microsoft wants to lead in AI, it should start by respecting user choice. Because right now, it feels less like innovation and more like surveillance dressed as a feature.