Windows spies on gamers and new AI reduces performance. Do you know about it?

When Microsoft introduced its Gaming Copilot as an assistant for gamers, it promised a better gaming experience thanks to artificial intelligence. However, the reality is a bit different. Windows 11 users found that the application silently scans game screenshots, processes them using OCR, and sends data back to Microsoft’s servers – all without any notification.

Data is sent without consent

The whole affair started on the ResetEra forum, where a user shared a screenshot of Windows 11 network activity. From it, it was clear that Xbox Game Bar regularly sends information to Microsoft’s servers. In addition to obvious privacy concerns, this also raised a practical problem: the person in question was testing a game under an NDA (non-disclosure agreement), which, in the event of a data leak, could lead to termination of cooperation and a fine.

While there was also a debate about what exactly the computer sends, the bottom line remains: many gamers disagree with their gaming experiences being recorded and analyzed without their knowledge. And to make matters worse, the “Model training on text” feature is enabled by default – no warning, no explanation.

To change this, you must manually go to Gaming Copilot’s privacy settings and disable the feature. Otherwise, Microsoft will quietly train its AI on your data.

Gaming Copilot slightly reduces performance

But that’s not all. Some gamers avoid Xbox Game Bar like the plague – known issues include update problems ending in an endless installation loop, or a drop in frame rate due to background clip recording. With active Gaming Copilot, it’s even worse.

Isaiah Williams from TechRadar conducted a practical test and measured a drop in average FPS in Dead as Disco from 84-89 to 80-85 frames per second. It’s not a disaster, but it’s certainly not negligible. The main culprit? Microsoft Edge must run in the background for Copilot to function at all. This burdens both the processor and memory – and on weaker computers or handhelds like the ASUS ROG Ally, where Gaming Copilot is now available, this will be even more noticeable.

It’s not just Microsoft, AI assistants are everywhere

To be fair – Microsoft is not the only one looking to integrate AI into games. For example, Razer is preparing a beta version of its Game Co-AI, which is intended to provide players with real-time advice even after matches. And just like Gaming Copilot, this tool also needs training data from users. Without it, it simply doesn’t work.

Windows spies on gamers and new AI reduces performance. Do you know about it? Jakub Kárník News Jakub Kárník News

The difference is that Razer offers its AI as an optional add-on, while Microsoft built it directly into Game Bar – and enabled it by default. That’s precisely the problem. Gamers don’t have an issue with AI assistants existing. But they want to have control over what happens with their data.

What do you think about the new AI features in Windows?

Source: Notebookcheck, TechRadar