Does Microsoft use your Office documents to train its AI applications?

Here are five tech events that happened this week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?

1 – Tech News: No, Microsoft does not use your Office documents to train its AI.

Users have raised concerns that Microsoft is using their private data from Word and Excel documents to train its AI models. Microsoft has officially denied these claims, saying that the Connected Experiences feature in Microsoft 365 apps does not use customer data to train AI. Instead, it enables features like document co-authoring and spell checking. Microsoft stressed that the settings in question are intended to enable Internet-based features and not for AI training. (Source: The edge)

Why it matters to your business:

Do you believe Microsoft? Do you trust big tech? I think you would be naive if you did. But it really doesn’t matter. When I talk to industry groups about AI, I’m often asked if our data is secure and private, and even though big tech companies promise that it is, I’m never completely sure. But this is a risk/reward exercise. Are you willing to risk your data security/privacy in order to reap the rewards of AI automation that products like Copilot and Google Gemini can offer? For me, the risk is worth it. I’m not sure who really cares about the microscopic data of my small business, so I’m willing to let the big tech companies in exchange for greater productivity.

2 – Tech News: 2025 will be a bad year for remote work.

In his opinion piece, Mike Elgan claims that the work-from-home phase is “at risk” in the near future. Policy changes will be in effect under new leadership, with Elon Musk stating his intention to roll back remote policies for federal employees. Potential fallout includes employee pushback leading to resignations. As tenure rises in the private sector – as reported in the 2024 CEO Outlook survey – productivity, hiring and wages are affected. Despite data showing that remote work improves employee productivity, this push to eliminate this model sets the stage for “a tough 2025” for workers accustomed to flexibility. (Source: IT world)

Why it matters to your business:

It’s not a “bad year.” It’s just an adjustment to reality. Your employees would have killed two days a week working from home before the pandemic, especially if those two days fell on a Monday and Friday like most companies allow. Technology is great but nothing will replace human interaction. Younger people need mentoring. Socialization of all people. Businesses need innovation. You don’t do this on Zoom or Teams. People need to come into the office at least part of the week and I have few clients who would disagree with this view.

3 – Tech News: MasterCard claims that the payment revolution will be optimized… by AI.

Mastercard leverages artificial intelligence to revolutionize the payment process. Company executives shared key benefits such as improved approval rates where AI can augment authorization messages with real-time data, reducing errors and optimizing transaction routing. The customer experience will be transformed with a faster and more efficient checkout process, recommendations on payment options and a reduction in lost sales due to failed transactions. “It’s the holy grail of optimization,” said Sherri Haymond, co-president of global partnerships at Mastercard. (Source: PYMNTES)

Why is this important for your business:

I didn’t expect anything less? Large financial services companies like MasterCard will not only rely heavily on AI to improve customer experience by making checkout and payment more seamless, but they will also expand its use to minimize fraud, which is expected less in theory – minimize our ongoing costs. .

4 – Tech News: Sales of professional robots increase by 30%.

Professional Services Sales robots grew by 30 percent globally in 2023. The main cause of this increase was labor shortage, especially in the sweating and logistics sectors. Growing adoption of robotic technologies has been seen across various industries – healthcare had the second highest adoption rate after logistics. Hospitality and agriculture were also noted. The Asia-Pacific region leads the market with 162,284 units sold, followed by Europe and the Americas. (Source: The world of IoT today)

Why it matters to your business:

Make no mistake: robots are already in the workplace, and they will proliferate over the coming years as costs drop and the AI ​​brains behind their actions become smarter and smarter. That’s a good thing. Robots on manufacturing floors can already transport packages, sort products, check for safety issues, and improve security. A growing number of construction companies are deploying robots to monitor, move materials and even install drywall. Manual jobs requiring human labor will very, very soon be replaced by these machines.

5 – Tech News: Accounts Payable Takes the High Road to an AI-Powered Growth Engine.

Accounts Payable (AP) departments are leveraging AI-powered solutions to transform their operations and drive business growth. Some of the key benefits include legacy inefficiencies, as many AP teams still rely on outdated processes, such as paper invoices and checks. AI and automation help AP departments overcome these existing problems by streamlining workflows, reducing errors, and improving efficiency. AP process automation can significantly reduce costs associated with using paper checks and fraud detection is enhanced. Businesses are encouraged to take a step-by-step modernization approach to improve their overall efficiency. (Source: PYMNTES)

Why it matters to your business:

If you run a business where you process more than 50 accounts payable invoices per week, I highly recommend looking into products like Bill, Ramp, and AvidExchange. These AP automation platforms can receive invoices from suppliers via email and other means, scan them, and enter them with minimal errors into your accounting system for approval and payment. They are faster and more precise than humans. They save time and reduce overhead costs. My experience is that they are difficult to install, but once done the benefits are enormous.

New technology news that impacts your business is published every Sunday.