Well, Microsoft has ignited a minor news bomb that is apparently the hottest subject right now. After what can only be called ‘player feedback’ which wasn’t anything less than outrage, the company has announced that Windows 11 will be enabling users to deny AI agents access to their personal files. They will indeed be asking for permission. The entire situation, quite surprisingly, emerged from a tweet that took its followers to an article that was longer but the gist of it was the same: now permission is a requirement. At least temporarily.
The whole matter turned into a situation because the users interpreted it as Microsoft stating that AI was the only element of their computer with no access limitations. Gamers and ordinary users strongly reacted. The very premise that a background process could browse one’s Documents folder, game screenshots, mods folder—anything without even a ‘hello, is it okay?’—was actually a nightmare. And the uproar began. This time it seems that Microsoft made a right call by listening to their customers.
The problem is that, as seen in the reactions to the tweet announcing the news, gamers are a very distrustful bunch. The first response was not exactly celebratory. It was more like a common loud, ‘Yeah, right. We trust you.’ One gamer, @Radivotive, even portrayed the mood by humorously referring to the prompt options: “Allow” or “Ask again in 3 hours.” Another player, @kingzzoof650, was building on this by imagining the AI just coming back after you had uninstalled it along with the subsequent update. It is the typical Windows update anxiety that one goes through; you never know what is going to be re-activated without your permission.
Cynicism is very prevalent in the gamers’ community. @thedarkwolf25 even made a comment that established the pattern: “The first time, then it will silently just turn it back on after an update when you’re not watching.” Also, @SnapRYRY89 was even more severe: “Lets be realistic here, M$ will access your files regardless if you say no or not.” Ouch. That is a major trust issue. It’s not just about this specific feature, but also about a long-standing feeling that when one is using a modern OS, their PC is not really theirs anymore.
Moreover, there are also users who have completely given up on Microsoft. @LordShad0w commented, “I’ve already switched to Linux. Microsoft has completely lost my trust. My OS should be MINE.” That sentiment is becoming more and more common in the PC gaming world. If you are playing a game that requires a lot of resources, then worrying about privacy issues and having your OS using AI features that you do not want is the last thing you need. There are even some users, like @onejailbreak_, who posted the link to the Windows 11 guidelines that suggest ways to remove all the AI stuff to make room for actual games.
Wait a minute, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, the whole consent thing. It’s a progress of sorts. @just2red put it well, “In the end, there was a privacy-related action,” which is undoubtedly true! It’s a paper-based change in the right direction. But the main problem is how this is to be done and if the specifics are to be revealed. Will it be a one-off situation? Or will it be a continuous irritation, like what @TWG8675309 experienced with his smart TV, continually pouncing on you until you give in? The concern is it will be like those old installer prompts for toolbars—’Allow’ is big and green, ‘Deny’ is small and gray, and ‘Remind me in 3 days’ is the default. @CertifiedHirsch and @pphrph1Million both had a good laugh about that exact scenario.
Gamers, this is serious. Our computers are our gaming rigs. They hold our game libraries, our save files (which are sacred), our configurations, and our mods. The notion that an AI, even if it is a presumed useful one like Copilot, has unhindered access to all that is a source of panic. What if it, for example, decides to ‘optimize’ something and in doing so messes up a modded Skyrim install? What if it is monitoring private game data for… who knows what? The lack of transparency is the main issue.
So, Microsoft is trying to cover up the leak by putting a consent dialog in place. But to a big part of the community, the damage has already been done. The trust has been broken. Some users are turning to debloating tools, while others are considering Linux for gaming more than ever—thanks to Steam Proton, it’s no longer the desert it once was. And others are just resigning to the new situation, thinking that consent will be nothing but a
