GPT-4o: Copilot is still in development and is considered an immature technology that is constantly changing. This uncertainty requires organizations to be cautious and conduct extensive testing.

Question 1 of 3 for ChatGPT-4o: Please read the article “Norwegian Report: It Is Important To Have And Exit Strategy From Microsoft” and the report “Piloting Copilot for Microsoft 365” and list all important lessons and findings for businesses and governments contemplating working with MS Copilot

ChatGPT-4o’s answer:
Here are the important lessons and findings for businesses and governments contemplating working with MS Copilot from the two provided reports:

Norwegian Report: It Is Important To Have An Exit Strategy From Microsoft

1. User Expertise Requirement:

   • Copilot is effective when users already understand the task but can be challenging for new tasks, requiring thorough knowledge to identify errors and provide precise instructions​.

2. Influence on Public Authority:

   • High trust in the public sector requires transparent decision-making. Copilot can give wrong answers, necessitating human oversight to maintain public trust and prevent errors​.

3. Data Privacy Challenges:

   • Copilot processes vast amounts of personal data in new ways, posing risks to individual rights. A Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) is essential before deployment​​.

4. Management Complexity:

   • Managing Microsoft 365 and Copilot requires specialized staff due to frequent changes. Microsoft's "opt-out" policy means administrators must disable unwanted features proactively​.

5. Developmental Stage:

   • Copilot is still in development and constantly evolving. Piloting and testing in controlled environments are crucial before full implementation​.

6. Organizational Impact:

   • New tools like Copilot can impact organizations significantly. Involving all stakeholders, including trade unions, is important to address potential negative perceptions and ensure proper usage​.

7. Employee Monitoring Concerns:

   • Copilot can be used to monitor employee performance, raising privacy issues. Limiting access to informal communication areas and considering restrictions for managers with HR responsibilities can help mitigate these concerns​.

8. Reliability of References:

   • Copilot can effectively summarize large documents but should not be relied upon blindly for references. Human verification is necessary to ensure accuracy​.

NTNU Report: Piloting Copilot for Microsoft 365

1. Understanding and Precision:

   • Copilot is best when the user has a solid understanding of the task, allowing for quick error identification and effective guidance​.

2. Public Sector Application:

   • Copilot’s potential to affect public authority decisions requires clear guidelines and robust human oversight to avoid trust issues and ensure transparency​.

3. Data Handling and Privacy:

   • Copilot's ability to handle large amounts of personal data necessitates thorough DPIAs and regular reviews to prevent misuse and ensure compliance with privacy regulations​.

4. Complex Ecosystem Management:

   • Managing Microsoft 365 and Copilot involves keeping up with frequent updates and changes, requiring dedicated and knowledgeable staff​.

5. Immature Technology:

   • Recognizing Copilot’s early developmental stage, it is essential to conduct extensive testing and piloting before full-scale deployment to adapt to its evolving nature​.

6. Stakeholder Involvement:

   • Introducing new tools should involve comprehensive stakeholder engagement to manage expectations and address any negative perceptions​.

7. Employee Surveillance:

   • Potential privacy concerns arise from using Copilot to monitor employees. Establishing clear boundaries and possibly restricting manager access can help mitigate these issues​ .

8. Cost and Dependency:

   • Microsoft 365 and Copilot can be expensive and lead to dependency on a single supplier. Having an exit strategy ensures flexibility and better negotiation leverage with the vendor​.

Recommendations

1. Training and Competence Development:

   • Prioritize continuous training for all users to maximize the benefits of Copilot while ensuring proper use and data protection​.

2. Regular Risk Assessments:

   • Conduct frequent risk assessments to identify and address new risks associated with Copilot and Microsoft 365​.

3. Exit Strategy:

   • Develop a robust exit strategy to manage potential migration to alternative solutions and maintain operational flexibility​.

By considering these lessons and findings, businesses and governments can make informed decisions about implementing and managing MS Copilot effectively.

Question 2 of 3 for ChatGPT-4o: What are the most surprising and controversial findings and statements in the report “Piloting Copilot for Microsoft 365”?

ChatGPT-4o’s answer:
Here are the most surprising and controversial findings and statements from the NTNU report "Piloting Copilot for Microsoft 365":

Surprising Findings

1. Impact on Public Authority:

   • Copilot can significantly influence the exercise of public authority. The technology’s ability to generate wrong answers or make erroneous judgments poses a high risk, especially in sectors where trust and transparency are paramount​.

2. Handling Personal Data:

   • Copilot processes massive amounts of personal data in new and uncontrolled ways, raising significant privacy concerns. The need for thorough and frequent Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) is emphasized to mitigate these risks​.

3. Complex Management of Microsoft 365:

   • Managing Microsoft 365, particularly with Copilot, is complex and requires specialized staff. The continuous updates and the "opt-out" policy of Microsoft necessitate a robust infrastructure to manage these changes effectively​​.

Controversial Findings

1. Employee Monitoring ("Bossware"):

   • Copilot can be used to monitor and assess employee performance and behavior based on their interactions within Microsoft 365, such as emails, Teams chats, and even emotional reactions. This capability raises significant privacy and ethical concerns about workplace surveillance​.

2. Immature Technology:

   • Copilot is still in development and is considered an immature technology that is constantly changing. This uncertainty requires organizations to be cautious and conduct extensive testing and piloting before full-scale implementation​.

3. Risk of Misuse and Misinterpretation:

   • Copilot can misinterpret or misrepresent content, leading to misunderstandings or misinformation. This risk is particularly relevant in scenarios where automatic meeting recordings and transcriptions are involved, as incorrect interpretations can have serious consequences​.

These findings highlight the potential benefits of using Copilot, while also emphasizing the need for careful consideration of the associated risks and the importance of robust management and oversight practices.

Question 3 of 3 for ChatGPT-4o: List all recommendations you have for businesses and governments on the basis of the concerns mentioned in the article and the report

ChatGPT-4o’s answer:
Based on the concerns mentioned in the NTNU report "Piloting Copilot for Microsoft 365" and the Norwegian report "It Is Important To Have An Exit Strategy From Microsoft," here are the comprehensive recommendations for businesses and governments:

Training and Competence Development

1. Prioritize Continuous Training:

   • Ensure all users receive thorough and ongoing training to maximize the benefits of Copilot while maintaining proper use and data protection​.

2. Stakeholder Engagement:

   • Involve all stakeholders, including trade unions and employees, to manage expectations and address potential negative perceptions.

Data Privacy and Security

3. Conduct Regular Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs):

   • Perform thorough DPIAs before deploying Copilot and regularly review them to address new risks and ensure compliance with privacy regulations​.

4. Limit Data Access:

   • Carefully control and limit the data Copilot has access to, ensuring it does not misuse or repurpose personal information inappropriately​​.

5. Inform Data Subjects:

   • Clearly inform all individuals whose data might be processed by Copilot about how their data will be used, ensuring transparency and consent​.

Management and Oversight

6. Establish Clear Guidelines:

   • Develop and enforce clear guidelines on where and when Copilot can be used, especially in high-risk areas such as public authority decision-making​.

7. Ensure Human Oversight:

   • Implement robust human oversight mechanisms to monitor and correct errors made by Copilot, maintaining transparency and accountability in decision-making processes​.

8. Specialized Staff:

   • Allocate specialized staff to manage Microsoft 365 and Copilot, keeping up with frequent updates and changes in the ecosystem​.

Ethical and Legal Considerations

9. Evaluate Ethical Implications:

   • Assess the ethical implications of using Copilot, particularly regarding employee monitoring and workplace surveillance, and take steps to protect employee privacy​.

10. Regulatory Compliance:

    • Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and legal requirements, including GDPR and upcoming AI regulations, adapting policies and practices as necessary​.

Strategic Planning and Flexibility

11. Develop an Exit Strategy:

    • Prepare a robust exit strategy from Microsoft to avoid vendor lock-in, maintain operational flexibility, and ensure better negotiation leverage​.

12. Test Before Full Implementation:

    • Conduct extensive piloting and testing in controlled environments to understand Copilot’s capabilities and limitations before fully integrating it into the organization​​.

Technological and Organizational Readiness

13. Ensure Organizational Readiness:

    • Assess and ensure the organization’s readiness for implementing Copilot, including technological infrastructure, employee readiness, and support systems​​.

14. Adapt to Technological Changes:

    • Stay adaptable to the rapid technological changes associated with Copilot, continuously updating strategies and practices to align with new developments​.

Monitoring and Evaluation

15. Regular Monitoring and Evaluation:

    • Continuously monitor and evaluate the performance and impact of Copilot within the organization, making adjustments as needed to address any emerging issues or inefficiencies​.

Specific Use Cases and Limitations

16. Define Specific Use Cases:

    • Clearly define and limit the specific use cases for Copilot, avoiding areas where the risk of errors or misuse is too high​.

By following these recommendations, businesses and governments can effectively manage the risks associated with Copilot while leveraging its potential benefits for productivity and innovation.