This article captures my opinion on Microsoft’s efforts to push their vision for an AI-powered desktop operating system on all of us. Why can’t we simply get something that works, and use Gen AI on our terms? Why must software phone home and send digital telemetry of every keystroke?

It’s about the money, of course, and surveillance culture. Everyone knows Microsoft spends lots of money to win. Maybe it’s a popularity contest with Google (also inserting Gen AI everywhere). They have a similar problem but at least their GenAI solution is starting to show promise.

But do we want it shoehorned into everything, a digital spy reporting every keystroke to train its Gen AI solution, all subject to big government that slouches with 3-letter acronym-laden neck gaiter, snatching people to feed its bloodthirsty, dull-minded, rotten, blunt tooth-lined maw, like some apocalyptic beast?

I suppose the real issue is that ham-fisted implementation of anything is due to fail. I am so glad I have ManjaroLinux or Linux mint available.

LibreOffice just announced it is able to run “without zero telemetry architecture, full offline capability, and OpenPGP encryption for documents” (source). Will GenAI integration in operating systems really be what makes GNU/Linux a desktop success?

Articles like this one below highlight the frustration…will companies doing the same as Microsoft pay attention?

…real issues still exist in Windows, and most Windows users still have to deal with them on a regular basis. Yet rather than fixing these problems in a way that benefits everyone, Microsoft is content to cram in some AI and call it a day.

Read the rest of the article.