Microsoft told Windows 11 users it would pull back on Copilot. It did, sort of.
The company stripped the "Copilot" name from apps like Notepad in recent Windows Insider builds, replacing it with a generic writing icon and relabeling the settings toggle from "AI features" to "Advanced features." The AI capabilities themselves? Still there. Still on by default.
Users feel lied to.
They read Microsoft's January promise to be more "intentional" about Copilot branding as a sign the company might actually reduce AI integration in Windows. Usama Jawad at Neowin points out that Microsoft's wording was careful: it said it would remove unnecessary Copilot entry points, not AI features. But the gap between what users wanted and what they got is stark.
Mustafa Suleyman's fingerprints are all over this. He took over as CEO of Microsoft AI in March 2024 after the company absorbed much of his previous startup, Inflection AI. Suleyman favors AI that fades into the background of products rather than shouting its presence with branded buttons everywhere. The Copilot name gets reserved for places Microsoft thinks it matters.
Microsoft can't afford to remove AI from Windows even if users want it gone. The race with Google and Apple demands it. But calling it "Advanced features" instead of "Copilot" is a telling admission. The Copilot brand became a liability. Now it's just AI, unlabeled, harder to complain about.