Microsoft is testing a new policy that will allow IT administrators uninstall Copilot AI-powered digital assistant on managed devices. The new policyRemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp» has begun rolling out to Dev and Beta testing channels that have Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7535 (KB5072046) installed.
The Windows Insiders team explains that Copilot will be uninstalled after the policy is enabled on endpoints managed through Microsoft Intune or System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). Enabling will not be automatic and the devices where it is intended to be implemented must comply with the following conditions:
- Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft Copilot must be installed.
- The user did not install the Microsoft Copilot application.
- The Microsoft Copilot app has not been released in the last 28 days.
If this policy is enabled, the Microsoft Copilot application will be uninstalled only once. Users can reinstall it if they wish. This policy will be available in Enterprise, Pro, and EDU versions of Windows 11. To enable this policy, open the Group Policy Editor and go to: User Settings -> Administrative Templates -> Windows AI -> Remove the Microsoft Copilot app.
Copilot on Windows, is it necessary?
Microsoft has invested multimillion-dollar amounts in OpenAI, the company responsible for trending chat (ChatGPT). Much of its technologies have been used to create the Copilot assistant and deploy it massively in Windows and other Microsoft products. Additionally, the company has launched the Copilot+ PC platform and has gotten some retailers to include a physical button for the assistant on the keyboards of new computers.
But not all users are satisfied with so much AI in Windows and the next step of making it “an agentic system.” They do not perceive as many benefits as they promise or they simply use AI tools from other providers. Hence, the measure to uninstall it is welcome.
It must be said that it was already possible to disable Microsoft Copilot from Windows 11 using group policies or the Windows registry. There are also third-party tools capable of disabling Copilot and other Windows artificial intelligence features. Some features that have a long way to go to prove their usefulness and that should be optional. And not only on Windows.
