Microsoft warns that Windows 11's agentic AI could install malware on your PC: "Only enable this feature if you understand the security implications"

Only enable this feature if you understand the security implications.

They should put that disclaimer on their entire operating system.

Waiting for my bank to warm me that their new and mandatory AI advisor might send my savings to a nigerian prince without my or the banks knowledge. Such transactions are not insured and all risk lies with the customer of course.

If agentic AI is a security risk, why the hell is MS trying to force it in as an integral part of Windows, then? I mean, unless they want people to get malware….

I assure you that your grandma does not “understand the security implications”. This is like handing out loaded guns to preschoolers and telling them not to shoot each other.

Now they say only enable it if you understand the security implications, but eventually they’ll downplay the security implications and enable it by default.

Yeah the malware is called Windows 11

Well at least they make malware installation automatic now. I’m sick of having to download and install it myself.

If you understand the security implications, you probably won’t enable it.

Will be installed by default, unremovable, runs in the background, with full access to all personal files.

At this rate we might finally see the year of the Linux desktop. I don’t know anyone who likes Windows 11 it’s been bad enough to convert even die-hard Windows fans to Linux

I was just thinking the other day how agentic AI is akin to letting an elderly person using a computer. You can tell it what to do, but you’ll end up with it clicking the very first link in g••gle and downloading 3 viruses and ending up with 40 new unwanted and potentially malicious browser extensions.

“Copilot, download the latest drivers and make it easy for me to update them” and it gives you some Driver Helper malware

What a world we live in where not only does something like this happen, but that it’s allowed to happen. Companies don’t even get a slap on the wrist anymore, they can just do whatever they want now without any repercussions, that’s what’s really scary about this.

“AI applications introduce novel security risks, such as cross-prompt injection (XPIA), where malicious content embedded in UI elements or documents can override agent instructions, leading to unintended actions like data exfiltration or malware installation.”

Exfiltrating data and installing malware are the tasks it was designed to do, the warning is that it might be done by someone other than Microsoft I guess.

relevant - Is Windows a virus?: http://danny.oz.au/danny/humour/windows.html

I’ll never enable it precisely because I understand the security and privacy implications. Windows would be a nice OS without all this crap, bloatware and services to “improve the user experience” and which nobody needs.

Is this a joke?!?!

Glad I left.

I mean, a browser can also install malware on your PC

How about you only release it once you do?

Coming from a company that keeps justifying taking control away from the user for “security reasons” that’s precious. I bet these assholes will make that feature opt-out only next.

It never was about security, it always was about forcing stupid features down the users throats to please the company’s corporate branch.

I’ll just sit back and enjoy the show as Windows 11’s users commission that their files for corrupted or deleted by a “hallucinating” AI agent.

… so, never?

Don’t worry, Microsoft will turn it on by default in next month’s patches. Undocumented, of course.