‘Project Copilot’ hasn’t exactly been a resounding success for Microsoft. In fact, the company is now withdrawing the tool from a whole range of smart TVs.
Some time ago, Microsoft envisioned a wildly ambitious future for its Copilot AI assistant. Consequently, the thing also found its way onto various smart TVs from a number of manufacturers, including LG. However, there was one rather significant problem that caused considerable resentment among users: the assistant app was installed automatically, and removing it was impossible.
Fortunately, that particular annoyance will soon be a thing of the past, as Microsoft is discontinuing Copilot on smart TVs. The app is expected to disappear from these devices before the end of this year, something that will undoubtedly come as a relief to many users. See, among others, this article on Windows Central Insider.
Meanwhile, Microsoft is also struggling with Copilot’s image in general. The ‘Copilot+ certified’ logo is gradually disappearing from PCs and laptops as well. Customers showed little or no interest in spending a considerable amount of extra money on systems equipped with dedicated AI acceleration hardware. As a result of the disappointing response, the software giant decided earlier this year to discontinue the certification programme. The lack of enthusiasm among potential customers was partly due to privacy scandals, particularly surrounding the Recall feature in Windows 11. This continuously captured screenshots of everything a user was doing, which Copilot could subsequently search through. Hardly a reassuring prospect, and certainly not everyone’s idea of a useful feature.
Ultimately, Microsoft intends to reposition Copilot as a business-oriented tool designed to improve productivity. Whether this rebranding will also involve a name change remains unknown. However, that wouldn’t be particularly surprising, considering the current name hardly evokes positive associations for many people.