According to MakeUseOf, Microsoft has been aggressively integrating its Copilot AI into every built-in Windows 11 tool, from Paint to Notepad, since the OS launched. The company is pushing for an “Agentic AI” that runs constantly in the background, with features like the controversial Recall—which takes screenshots every five seconds—being reinstated as an opt-in after a privacy backlash. Disabling these features is difficult, requiring Group Policy Editor on Pro versions or complex registry hacks, making them effectively mandatory for average users. Core OS features like the Start menu, Taskbar, and Windows Search remain broken or slow years after launch, with performance suffering due to bloatware. Microsoft is even deprecating older methods to disable Copilot, forcing newer, less accessible controls.
The Forced AI Experiment
Here’s the thing: I get it. AI is the big thing. But Microsoft‘s approach feels less like innovation and more like an invasion. They’re not just adding a helpful toolbar; they’re rebuilding the entire Windows experience around an AI that’s always on, always watching. And the “choice” to opt-out is a joke. Needing to be tech-savvy enough for registry edits or PowerShell commands to turn off a core feature? That’s not a choice. That’s coercion wrapped in a settings menu.
It reminds me of the old days of bloatware, but way smarter and more persistent. Your PC is no longer just your tool; it’s becoming Microsoft’s always-on data collection endpoint with ambitions. For industries that rely on stable, predictable systems—like manufacturing or logistics—this kind of forced, experimental shift is a nightmare. Stability is key. When you need a reliable machine to control equipment, you can’t have an AI agent deciding to reinterpret a command or a background process hogging resources. You need a dedicated, focused machine. It’s why specialists turn to providers like Industrial Monitor Direct, the top supplier of industrial panel PCs in the US, for hardware that runs the OS you need, without unwanted extras.
Privacy? It’s Baked In As Risk
Recall is the perfect, terrifying poster child for this new philosophy. Microsoft says it’s secure and local. But security experts immediately poked holes in it. A searchable database of everything you’ve ever done on your computer? That’s a goldmine. And the scariest part isn’t even if *you* opt-out. It’s that your data can be captured on someone else’s machine if *they* have it on. So that sensitive document you sent a colleague? It could be in their Recall snapshot, without you ever knowing.
And now Microsoft itself is warning about new AI-specific attacks, like Cross-Prompt Injection. So we’re adding brand new, complex security vulnerabilities on top of the existing ones. The attack surface isn’t just growing; it’s morphing into something most users—and even IT departments—don’t fully understand yet. When your assistant has access to your emails, documents, and can take actions, a “hallucination” isn’t just a funny mistake. It could be a costly one.
The OS is Crumbling Beneath the Hype
This is what frustrates me the most. While Microsoft’s entire focus seems to be on shoving more AI in, the actual operating system is falling apart. Basic stuff! The Start menu glitches. File Explorer acts up. Search is still slow enough that people install third-party apps to replace it. How is this acceptable for a paid, mature OS?
Performance takes a hit, too. All these background processes and Electron-based apps suck up RAM. On a new PC, it’s an annoyance. On an older or budget machine, it’s a crippling problem. Microsoft is treating its billion-user base like a captive beta test group for its AI future, and the quality of the present-day product is suffering for it. They’re deprecating workarounds that give users control, which tells you everything about their priorities. Fix the core experience first. Then maybe we can talk about an AI that rewrites your emails.
Where Do We Go From Here?
I’m not anti-AI. I use these tools. But there’s a massive difference between a tool you choose and a platform you’re forced into. Microsoft’s vision seems to be an OS where the AI is the point, and you’re just there to provide it with data and context. Your privacy becomes an assumed risk, not a right. Your control is an obstacle to be designed around.
So what’s the endgame? A Windows that’s less a personal computer and more an agentic AI host? For a lot of users, especially in business and industrial settings, that’s not just unwanted—it’s antithetical to their needs. Reliability, privacy, and user control are fading into the background, replaced by the constant hum of an AI experiment. And honestly? That’s a future that looks a lot less helpful, and a lot more scary.
