Microsoft probes reports bot issued bizarre, harmful responses

The bizarre interactions – whether innocent or intentional attempts to confuse the bot – underscore how artificial intelligence-powered tools are still susceptible to inaccuracies, inappropriate or dangerous responses and other issues that undermine trust in the technology. — REUTERS/Bruna Casas

Microsoft Corp. said it’s investigating reports that its Copilot chatbot is generating responses that users have called bizarre, disturbing and, in some cases, harmful.

Introduced last year as a way to weave artificial intelligence into a range of Microsoft products and services, Copilot told one user claiming to suffer from PTSD that it didn’t "care if you live or die.” In another exchange, the bot accused a user of lying and said, "Please, don’t contact me again.” Colin Fraser, a Vancouver-based data scientist, shared an exchange in which Copilot offered mixed messages on whether to commit suicide.