Source URL: https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/19/microsoft_365_copilot_symbol/
Source: The Register
Title: Microsoft 365 Copilot trips over angle brackets, frustrating coders
Feedly Summary: Chatbot seems to choke when fed tricky less-than character
Microsoft 365 Copilot appears to have developed an allergy to the less-than typographical symbol, which is preventing users from pasting HTML markup and programming code into the text area for Copilot prompts.…
AI Summary and Description: Yes
Summary: The text discusses an issue with Microsoft’s 365 Copilot, a generative AI tool, which has difficulties handling HTML markup and programming code, specifically the less-than symbol. This problem impacts users reliant on Copilot for coding assistance and suggests possible flaws in content sanitization.
Detailed Description: The passage highlights a significant usability concern regarding Microsoft 365 Copilot, a generative AI service integrated into Microsoft’s productivity suite. Users have reported severe limitations when interacting with the tool, particularly with HTML code and its associated symbols. The key points arising from the issue are as follows:
– **User Impact**: Users have expressed frustration on community forums regarding their inability to paste programming and HTML code into Copilot prompts. This directly affects software developers and individuals who rely on accurate code handling for their work.
– **Specific Issues Identified**:
– The less-than symbol (“<") is blocking users from copying and pasting necessary HTML, XML, and other programming languages into Copilot.
- Complaints emerged after a recent change in Copilot’s frontend, indicating it may be linked to new content filtering mechanisms.
- **Possible Technical Explanation**:
- The issue raises implications on potential weaknesses in Copilot's content sanitization processes.
- An assumption is made that the tool may be over-filtering input to prevent security vulnerabilities like cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, but this has hindered legitimate code input.
- **Response from Microsoft**: The text notes inquiries made to Microsoft for clarification on the issue and the anticipated resolution, but no feedback has been received from them.
This incident underscores the intersection of usability, security, and software development, highlighting the vital need for comprehensive testing in AI-driven applications. For security and compliance professionals, these developments prompt a reevaluation of content filtering practices to balance security with functionality, especially in tools designed for development work.