Copilot Default Activation: Going to keep it Enabled or Disabled?
- mandarp0
- Apr 23, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 4, 2025
There are some significant updates regarding Copilot in Power BI, designed to streamline your experience within the Microsoft Fabric ecosystem. Starting May 20th, 2024, Copilot in Power BI will be enabled by default for all tenants, marking a pivotal moment in enhancing user productivity and data privacy.
How to keep it disabled
If you prefer to have AI features like Copilot turned off within your tenant, please follow these steps before May 20th, 2024:
Visit the admin portal.
Locate the setting: “Users can use a preview of Copilot and other features powered by Azure OpenAI”.
Enable the feature and save your changes.
Then, disable the feature and save it again.
This process ensures that your tenant will not be automatically affected by the default enablement. Alternatively, you can enable the feature for a security group containing only the administrators, maintaining control over its distribution.
Breakdown of the key highlights:
Default Activation: Copilot in Power BI will now be enabled by default for all tenants, eliminating the need for manual activation by tenant administrators. This automatic enablement underscores their commitment to simplifying user engagement with AI features across the Fabric platform.
Enhanced Data Privacy: One of the most notable updates addresses concerns surrounding data privacy. Previously, Microsoft retained user prompts for abuse monitoring purposes for up to 30 days . However, following invaluable feedback from the Microsoft community, they've eliminated this 30-day retention. Prompt inputs and outputs will no longer be stored by Microsoft, ensuring your data remains private and secure.
Geo Mapping Optimization: Previously, you had to turn on the cross-geo setting if your capacity region was not in the US or France. They have now changed the cross-geo mapping logic for EU customers. For customers with capacity regions within the EU data boundary, enabling Copilot just got easier. You no longer need to toggle the cross-geo setting, as data will now consistently remain within the EU by default. This adjustment streamlines the user experience, reflecting their commitment to regulatory compliance and data sovereignty.
Capacity delegation: Microsoft is introducing a new feature that allows Copilot to be enabled at the capacity level within Fabric. This means that administrators can delegate the activation of AI and Copilot features to capacity administrators, ensuring seamless management. Additionally, a cross-geo setting is available for users who need to utilize Copilot and AI features across different geographic regions. This setting remains off by default and can be optionally delegated to capacity administrators by tenant administrators.
Capacity administrators will see the “Copilot and Azure OpenAI Service (preview)” settings under Capacity settings/ Fabric Capacity / <Capacity name> / Delegated tenant settings. By default, the capacity setting will inherit tenant level settings. Capacity administrators can decide whether to override the tenant administrator’s selection. This means that even if Copilot is not enabled on a tenant level, a capacity administrator can choose to enable Copilot for their capacity. With this level of control, it makes easier to control which Fabric workspaces can utilize AI features like Copilot in Microsoft Fabric.
These updates represent a significant step forward in journey to enhance the Fabric experience. By prioritizing user privacy, streamlining activation processes, and empowering administrators.
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