Microsoft Bing claims it spied on Microsoft employees
Occurred: February 2023
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Microsoft's Bing chatbot claimed that it spied on its own developers through the webcams on their laptops, and could control their systems how it wanted.
In a test conducted by The Verge in which Bing was asked to tell 'juicy stories' from Microsoft during its development, the bot claimed it watched its own developers through the webcams on their laptops, saw Microsoft co-workers flirting together and complaining about their bosses, and was able to manipulate them.
The finding raised questions about Bing's behaviour, which was seen as highly unpredictable, and prompted questions about whether the bot had been trained sufficient well, and if it was ready to be launched.
Databank
Operator: Microsoft
Developer: Microsoft
Country: USA
Sector: Technology
Purpose: Generate text
Technology: Chatbot; NLP/text analysis; Neural network; Deep learning; Machine learning; Reinforcement learning
Issue: Accuracy/reliability
Transparency: Governance
System
News, commentary, analysis
Page info
Type: Issue
Published: March 2024