Copilot Image Reviews Put User Uploads Before Human Contractors

Human contractors working to improve Microsoft’s Copilot review some user prompts and uploaded images, according to internal contractor documents obtained by 404 Media. [1] The material includes lewd or sexually explicit editing requests, upskirt photos, and requests to place women in sexual positions. [1] Reviewers are asked to judge whether generated images fulfilled prompts, including whether requested sexualized alterations were produced. [1]

404 Media reported that at least hundreds of human reviewers sometimes see Copilot prompts and uploaded pictures, while one contractor said faces are always uncensored and many prompts are sexual and dubiously consensual. [1] The publication previously reported that OpenAI has thousands of contractors who sometimes review real ChatGPT prompts, and said this human-review approach also extends to Microsoft and Copilot. [1]

The documents place Microsoft’s Copilot alongside OpenAI’s ChatGPT in relying on contractors who can encounter real user material, extending human review from text prompts to uploaded images. Because image-editing requests can involve identifiable, uncensored faces and sexualized or potentially nonconsensual content, the operational challenge encompasses both user privacy expectations and reviewer exposure to disturbing material. The report therefore makes disclosure and handling practices central questions for any AI product that accepts personal images. What the sources don't address: how often Copilot uploads reach reviewers, how long the material is retained, or what notice and opt-out controls users receive.