Third-party contractors access Skype chats to train AI algorithms

Microsoft has declared that third-party contractors have accessed and listened to users’ personal conversation on Skype and Cortana’ in order to train transcribing algorithms. This declaration has raised numerous privacy concerns to which Microsoft has answered that  “We’ve updated our privacy statement and product FAQs to add greater clarity and will continue to examine further opportunities to improve,”. Microsoft’s privacy policy reads that ‘processing of personal data for these purposes includes both automated and manual (human) methods’. Bloomberg has also found that Facebook has been paying hundreds of outside contractors to transcribe clips of audio from users of its services. Facebook replied that no European users have been affected by such transcription.