Microsoft has patched a flaw in its Copilot AI helping users pirate its Windows operating system. A small step that won’t change much since the majority of users will likely ask Google instead before even installing it.
As with any product or software, users have found a loophole in Microsoft’s AI assistant allowing it to recommend third-party tools that remove or bypass Windows’ license requirements, which is quite silly. Even more funny when considering that other AI chatbots like ChatGPT were immune to this technique.
I mean, with Windows 11 Home costing $139 and Windows 11 Pro asking for $199.99 on the official store, it’s no wonder people see temptation when it’ll save some money. More so when you are greeted with ads on your start menu for a product you paid full price for. It hits hard. This is why many who still want an activated Windows without risking installing malware opt for the volume licenses sold on grey markets for a fraction of the standard ones.
There’s an argument to be made for reducing the cost, as many are happy to pay for services if the price is right. That said, I do question whether that tactic would work given Windows is often a free upgrade for the first few years of each generation. At this point, some simply expect it shouldn’t cost a penny.
Unfortunately for these users, Microsoft has fixed this unexpected AI behaviour. All nice things have an end. Now instead of guiding you towards a tool or a GitHub script to activate Windows for free, Copilot will inform you that this operation violates the terms of service and that unauthorised copies of the Windows are illegal.
While Microsoft is in its right to protect its products, one may wonder how many other aspects of Copilot are censored because they don’t match the brand’s view. Limiting the outreach of AI has been linked to bad results. Some users have noticed a degraded answer quality regarding coding queries. This is especially concerning seeing how AI assistants are encroaching on all aspects of our lives.
Microsoft could have a hard time convincing users to pay a $20 per monthly subscription for a incompetent Copilot Pro, especially as Grok, Gemini, and ChatGPT continually improve. So, better focus on the important bits first.
