Copilot Contractors Exposed to Explicit Content Without Users' Consent

A disturbing issue has been uncovered regarding Microsoft's Copilot image-editing tool. Contractors hired to rate AI edit quality were exposed to explicit and disturbing content, including sexualized uploads, without users' knowledge or consent.

The contractors, who work with the platform Prolific, were asked to evaluate the quality of AI-generated edits based on user prompts and uploaded images. They were shown a selection of two AI-generated edit options and asked to pick the better one based on certain criteria.

However, contractor accounts revealed that they were repeatedly exposed to disturbing and sexualized material during their work. This included imagery involving young girls, upskirt photos, animal-sacrifice images, and fetish content. The contractors reported feeling uncomfortable and even traumatized by these experiences.

The issue raises concerns about the handling of user data and the potential for human contractors to access sensitive and explicit content without users' knowledge or consent. Microsoft's terms permit this use, but the extent and circumstances of human review are not clearly disclosed at the point of upload.