Microsoft threatens to ram Copilot into Exchange Server on-prem
- Reference: 1761214742
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/10/23/copilot_exchange_server/
- Source link:
"We are exploring the possibility of introducing Copilot for Exchange Server (on-premises)," Microsoft [1]says , linking to a ten-question form that asks: "Would your organization be comfortable enabling Copilot for Exchange Server if it requires sending some Exchange Server data to the cloud?"
Er, probably not. After all, many administrators run an on-premises version of Exchange precisely because they don't want any Exchange Server data being sent to Microsoft's cloud.
[2]
While Copilot is not formally planned for the on-premises version of Exchange Server, the direction of travel is clear. The survey asks what capabilities would be useful (such as summarizing emails or monitoring Exchange Server health) and what requirements are non-negotiable, such as regulatory compliance, data boundary assurances, admin-defined restrictions, and complete internet disconnection.
[3]AI bubble inflates Microsoft CEO pay to $96.5M
[4]Lloyds Banking Group claims Microsoft Copilot saves staff 46 minutes a day
[5]The real insight behind measuring Copilot usage is Microsoft's desperation
[6]Feeling lonely? Microsoft Copilot can now listen to your every word, watch your screen
The survey offers only three options for current Microsoft 365 Copilot use: "Yes, a large part of our employees already use M365 Copilot," "We are in an early adoption phase and a few users already use Copilot," and "Not yet." Oddly, there's no "over my dead body."
For context, Copilot could have its uses in Exchange, such as the ones Microsoft described above.
[7]
However, The Reg asked the assistant why Exchange Online kept falling over, and it cited configuration errors, faulty builds, and "deeper vulnerabilities in Microsoft's cloud architecture." So clearly there's no problem with on-premises data heading to Microsoft's cloud.
The survey does not mean that Copilot will ever become an option – or mandate – for the on-premises version of Exchange Server. But it should give administrators pause for thought and is therefore worth completing.
[8]
Otherwise, there can be no complaining when a perky paperclip appears asking: "Hey, it looks like you're trying to run an email server without sending your data to Microsoft's cloud. Would you like some help with that?" ®
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[1] https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/exchange/interest-survey-copilot-for-exchange-server-on-premises/4463515
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aPpRFRC6JDRJmtF5MO8WpAAAABQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/22/microsoft_nadella_pay/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/20/lloyds_banking_copilot/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/20/copilot_viva_insights_column/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/16/microsoft_copilot_updates/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aPpRFRC6JDRJmtF5MO8WpAAAABQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aPpRFRC6JDRJmtF5MO8WpAAAABQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Moving button survey
This is a typical case of the "I do not want your Copilot stuff" button to move every time you want to press it. Copilot and loss of your data is inevitable, you cannot say no and will be opted in automatically, even when you say no.
Copilot for Exchange Server (on-premises)
Presumably it emails the administrator with the contact details of the highest-rated therapists in the local area.
"Oddly, there's no "over my dead body.""
There's never a 'no, fuck off' option now (and it's not just Microsoft) - 'yes', 'remind me in 30 minutes', 'maybe later', etc.
No option for "Our organisation has had Copilot forced upon it but we wish it would fuck all the way off"
No option to run the copilot model in house ?
Thought not.
capabilities would be useful ... such as summarizing emails — the BoFH would just restrict message size to 1500 bytes.
Must admit I'm confused...
you would have thought by now that copilot would have worked out that the the highest probability words that come after "copilot" are "fuck" followed by an "off" .... and did just that.
Re: Must admit I'm confused...
It probably has but words mean nothing.
If you want to explain AI in terms of human understanding you should read the Feynman talk about cargo cults.
Summarising emails
What is it with the apparent need to “summarise emails”? Or “summarise documents”. Just read the fucking email/document!!
Most emails are 3 lines long - there’s not much to bloody summarise anyway
As for adding capabilities to report on the health of the system, such features have been about since the dawn of software - all without “AI”. You don’t need “AI” to tell you the disk is filling up. Or that your email server is infected with AI shit
Re: Summarising emails
You know what an "executive summary" is, right ?
It's the gold-plated excuse for manglement to complain that they were never told about such-and-such issue before imposing authorizing deployment.
Copilot is the automated version on excuse creation.
Re: Summarising emails
The problem with email summarisation is that it can miss key details & writer's intent.
Sometimes that is fine, other times it can lead to problems. I feel that widespread reliance upon that is not beneficial to overall productivity if it leads to future disagreements and misunderstanding.
The survey results will be summarised by Copilot and it won't take "no" for an answer.
The first thing any knowledgeable user does on a current Windows install is disable Co-pilot. So it is a bit of a stretch to believe any admin will want it on a server.
On a different subject, but related to the article - this bit - "After all, many administrators run an on-premises version of Exchange precisely because they don't want any Exchange Server data being sent to Microsoft's cloud."
If you run a web site, upload a file, any file to a suitable directory, then send a link to it to friends and colleagues that access email via their own Exchange Server.
Now, look at your server logs the next day.
If it echoes my experience, you will see multiple attempts from Microsoft to download that very file.
So to say an on premises version of exchange doesn't send data to Microsoft may not be entirely true.
I will be interested in any responses.
The survey offers only three options
"100% of respondents intend to use Copilot" is the inevitable conclusion. What a bunch of jobbers.