Not a good look
So it is installed in such a way that it is only discovered by checking a list of installed programs....
I'm struggling to suspend my disbelief at 'accidental'.
Microsoft's Copilot obsession has continued with the AI assistant unexpectedly arriving on Windows Server 2022 this week, in a situation the software giant is calling an "incorrect install." First spotted by Windows Latest, the Copilot app turned up as part of a Microsoft Edge update rather than the full-fat incarnation that …
"I'm struggling to suspend my disbelief at 'accidental'."
I'm seeing this statement of it not being intentional as even more damning than if they owned up and said it was done "on purpose". How does a company the size and complexity of Microsoft "accidentally" change and publish a major piece of software? Things like that have to be sent in triplicate, sent back, queried, be subjected to public inquiry, buried in peat and recycled as firelighters before anything happens.
Copilot said the code would run... What more do you want? Legacy processes involving humans? And who is going to pay for all of this? If it isn't AI then it isn't something Microsoft are interested in investing actual money in to...
Oops, we accidentally made most of your emails appear to vanish by forcing out and turning on "Focussed Inbox" and not even telling you how it decides what is "focussed" and what is "other".
Oops, we accidentally changed a shit of of settings in Windows from how you had set them to how we want them - such as "seach" in the task bar - because we want to force more shit on you.
Oops, we accidentally made Outlook open links in emails using Edge and not the default browser you had chosen because we want to ram Edge down your throat.
>Seeking to reassure users, Microsoft added: "It is important to note that the Microsoft chat provider for Copilot in Windows does not execute any code or process, and does not acquire, analyze, or transmit device or environment data in any capacity."
Translation: Oops, some b*gger noticed.
Not anything you want it to do.
Once a week I go into Services and look at what's actually running on my various pieces of kit.
If I don't recognise it/want it then it gets disabled.
Point is - they can install what they want. Whether I allow it to run is a whole different ballgame.
Once again Microsoft updates quality control is a joke, how do you accidentally release this to your server product, this is just incompetence and another reason why Microsoft cannot be trusted to manage an evergreen OS, when it can just install stuff as and when it releases it, without local oversight.
When I first fired up company mandated AI that is CoPilot and asked it a simple question, "Could you give me an exampple of some C# code to connect to an SFTP server."
Reply : "Sorry and I am unable to do that as I am only able to generate Python code. Please try alternative methods.".
So even though C# and .Net is the primary "currency" of Microsoft, their AI system has no ability to generate any sample code other than that for a data analysts language. The funny thing is that speaking to the network guys I found out that most people in my company have been asking for ChatGPT access to be unblocked on the corp proxy/firewall as CrapPlot is useless! Ha ha!!
At some point perhaps 15 years ago, I was buying some modest Win laptop for a technically challenged relative, and I noticed that the store had a service by where they'd remove the CrapWare they were paid to install by the laptop vendor.
"Heads I win, tails you lose."
Interesting, so in an era of AI bubbles and land grab market share efforts, Microsoft are adding an "AI assistant button" onto their keyboards (no conflict of interest there huh, since the button will push user to MS).
I'm dubious about the Edge Trojan install? Is it just a non-functioning placeholder? 8kb will not an AI compute.
If required, use: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot > Turn off Windows Copilot policy
It's primary function appears to be preparing shortcut use/integration/default apps when the AI products are released (I'm thinking somewhat like selecting a default program to open PDFs). My cynical nature noticed that the feature is rumoured to be configurable shutdown in EU, but not elsewhere, so I wonder if that is preparing the PC to default AI applications to Microsoft's offering? (EU anti competitive rules)
Clippy. Risen from the dead and fused with abomination that was Cortana. He's come for your Windows 11 AND NOW, He's coming for your servers.
Clippy has already taken over Microsoft, and now your organizations are next...
I mean seriously. "Accidentally" installed on a server? This is why auto-update is turned off and I have to manually install patches. Thanks Microsoft!