Leaked internal Microsoft documents show the company explicitly discussed making its AI products "addictive" - a word that appears in planning materials obtained by 404 Media and reported by Kotaku. The documents reference CEO Satya Nadella and are tied to Copilot and an AI project internally called "Scout."
"Addictive" is unusual language in public-facing tech - not because no one wants habitual users, but because saying it out loud creates problems. Social media companies spent years optimizing engagement loops around the same goal before congressional hearings and litigation made the word radioactive. Meta, YouTube, and TikTok all chased time-on-app, but called it "relevance" and "personalization." Microsoft's documents appear to skip the euphemism.
This matters specifically because Copilot is sold to enterprises on productivity grounds. The pitch to IT buyers and HR teams is that it saves employees time. Designing for addiction runs counter to that framing and creates a potential paper trail problem if Copilot becomes subject to workplace productivity disputes or labor law cases, which are already emerging in European jurisdictions.
The AI sector is early enough that internal "addictive" design language hasn't triggered the same regulatory attention it would for social media. But the EU AI Act is already partially in effect, and "addiction by design" is exactly the kind of documented intent that appears in enforcement proceedings. Whether Microsoft's language reflects a genuine product philosophy or the kind of blunt internal shorthand that looks worse written down than it sounds in a room, the document is now public. The company has not commented.