Have they tried making it better, I feel like I’m more likely to become addicted to it if it was good.
Ah yes, Cortana and Copilot both suck, but surely third time’s the charm. And when Scout is, inevitably, unpopular as well? We’ll see what they call number four.
Is there any fundamental diffidence between Copilot and Scout, or is it just a straight up rebranding?
My impression is that scout is specifically going to be an agentic ai. Agentic ai platforms are supposedly a little more competent than chatbots, but still subject to the same llm chicanery and enormous energy usage.
It’s hard to compare against copilot because MS has called a ton of distinct things copilot (see the diagram below).
“A little sign in here, a touch of wifi there…”
That’s all I know of Cortana.
🔇
Not sure why that had to come on automatically at maximum volume every time, but the number of times I’ve finished backing up and re-imagine a computer at 3 AM, on to have her start hollering at the exact moment my head hits the pillow, is too damn many
That’s Mambo No. 6
Cortana was actually really good on Windows Phone but they dumbed it down and added all sort of crap to it by the time it was integrated onto the desktop. They could’ve doubled down on whatads it good but nope.
@pycorax I second this, Windows Phone 8.1/10 was a godsend in a world of Android/iPhone duopoly (even if made by Microslop) and Cortana was smart enough to almost do everything you could ask of it (unlike the “couldn’t understand what you said” or “calling Superfun New Toy From China” instead of “Super from Building A” that “AI” assistants of its time said).
@finalarbiter
You forgot they called it Bing in the middle too
You forgot clippy, but everyone forgets about clippy unless it’s in this exact context. Or it’s Norfolk wizard game.
I can’t believe I forgot Clippy…
What about Microsoft Bob? Doesn’t that count as their first attempt?
Clippy was basically an upgraded Bob kinda like how the old Jeep Cherokees are just upgraded Jeep Wagoneers.
Yeah “but not as annoying” lol. No idea what you mean about jeeps: I’m in the UK, and not a car enthusiast either.
Miss you, Tay
microslop can fuck off.
I think you mean to say: “microslop can slop off”
Microfuck can slop off.
Fuckroslop can slop off.
Sloprofuck can fuck slop
This is what happens when bots train on each other’s comments
do you really wanna be admitting that addiction is your goal?
A $6 Million Jury Verdict Ruled Social Media Is Addictive.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/anishasircar/2026/03/30/a-6-million-jury-verdict-ruled-social-media-is-addictive-now-what/That kind of fine is a pittance.
true. but this one wasn’t a class action, either… just one plaintiff.
adding new “features”
look inside
enshittification
looks inside" its all AI, nothing but AI"
Knowing Microslop, I’m not too worried. They’ll either scrap the idea before implementing it or make it so shitty people won’t use it. Let them try for the shits n giggles.
Duh. I wouldn’t have called it “addiction”, but dependency was clearly the goal, otherwise they wouldn’t take away classical search.
I thought that was obvious from the start.
Legitimately most modern games or all of social media.
At least they’re honest (internally) about their intentions. Obviously this is also the goal of the other big AI foundries; it either already is or it will be in the future.
Luckily Microsoft is famously bad at this, but Google and perhaps OpenAI will be more successful. We’re still in the subsidized honeymoon phase, but this window is closing with the increasing pressure to return profit.
As a skeptic, I’m not worried about myself, but I’m scared for the people who will get addicted and then ruined by full prices or devastated when their mind drug is taken away again.
seems like google and OPENAI have the same problems, just as a slower decline. google trying to force gemini into all thier services. anthropoic isnt doing any better either.
I will never EVER give an AI agency over any of my personal accounts.
Someone else has probably already done that for you.
You are not the target audience.
Oh we’re the target, just not the customer.
Uhh yeah thats the long term profit concept of LLMs, force them onto people for free until they cant live without them, then jack up the price. Its been pretty obvious…
Create a captive audience through monopoly or near monopoly on a given market, then charge them more for a worse version of the product, reducing costs and maximizing profits, it’s always been the goal with corporate capitalism, look at the whole Copilot and GitHub situation right now.
Did they try making it good?
yes, good at self-destructing.
That’s the beauty of it (from their viewpoint), they don’t have to make it good, just unavoidable.
addictive? hahahahah. Poor Microsoft. Everything started going wrong for them when they got rid of Clippy.
Well, Microsoft, if you want that, put more cocaine in it.
Congratz you are the first person to successfully sell AI to me.
