Microsoft forces AI into Notepad, users say, “Leave it alone”
Windows 11’s Notepad continues to get Copilot-powered AI features – a handy addition to a tool whose main appeal has always been simplicity and minimalism. Not all users are happy, however, with some saying AI features are overkill.
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Windows 11’s Notepad continues to get Copilot-powered AI features – a handy addition to a tool whose main appeal has always been simplicity and minimalism. Not all users are happy, however, with some saying AI features are overkill.
Microsoft is adding a new AI feature to Windows 11’s Notepad. The update is rolling out to Copilot+ PCs and is introduced as “streaming.”
This feature is similar to the typing animation in ChatGPT and is meant to feel more natural, especially when users decide to dictate the text out loud. It means that an AI-generated text will appear on screen gradually, word by word, rather than appearing all at once.
Users can also ask AI to write text, rewrite a text that already exists, conclude it, and change its tone of voice or format. The options available are “Formal,” “Inspirational,” “Humor,” and “Other.”
Even though the feature is not available on Copilot+ devices, Microsoft has confirmed it plans to extend it to all PCs capable of running Windows 11, including older AMD and Intel machines.
“Streaming support for Rewrite is limited to results generated locally on Copilot+ PCs at this time. To use Write, Rewrite, and Summarize in Notepad, you will need to sign in with your Microsoft account,” claims the company.
AI has been added to the Notepad for a while now, but this new feature is receiving backlash from users who prefer the minimalist, simple Notepad, something it was best known for.
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Earlier, Microsoft announced AI integrations to apps such as Photos and Paint. For example, the latter now allows background removal, AI-assisted image editing, and “Cocreator,” which lets users sketch on Paint with their mouse and then prompt AI to refine the drawing into a better-quality image.
Even then, netizens called these updates “a joke,” one commented that “the fact Microsoft used that as a selling point is a joke, and an insult to the device and creatives. They should be focusing more on the performance compared to the competition and past devices.”
A similar backlash is underway against AI tools on Notepad. Netizens are saying that Notepad should now “rest in peace” and asking Microsoft to “leave Notepad alone, fuck with Wordpad instead.”
“The whole point of text editors like Notepad is they are simple,” wrote one netizen.
“It was the only app that came with Windows that could be used to create plain text documents. This made it great to write batch files and scripts,” added another one.
Others were showing some irony by asking, “When is Calculator going to spit AI calculations?” and stating they did not “choose higher RAM prices for .... This.”
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While Copilot in Notepad is technically optional, it is enabled by default.
Hate AI on the Notepad? Switch it off!
A netizen who said, “They fucked it up by adding Copilot. I know you can disable it, but eww.”
For those who prefer to use the classic Notepad version, Microsoft has provided the option to disable the AI tools by going to the Settings tab and selecting Copilot.
However, this move remains more of a matter of principle, because even if a user turns off the AI features in Notepad (or any other Windows app for that matter), the software will remain on the computer. Therefore, all those interested in turning off Copilot in order to save RAM will not succeed.
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