Microsoft threatens to RAM Copilot into Exchange Server on-prem

Microsoft's mission to "Copilot all the things" has reached Exchange Server, with a survey asking if admins want the AI assistant on-prem.

"We are exploring the possibility of introducing Copilot for Exchange Server (on-premises)," Microsoft 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.

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.

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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.

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.

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?" ®