Aggressive integration of artificial intelligence into the Windows ecosystem has been a top priority for Microsoft in recent quarters, but the company is beginning to recognise the need for greater flexibility for corporate administrators. The Redmond giant has begun testing a new policy setting that allows IT departments to systemically remove Copilot applications from managed devices, a significant nod to infrastructure managers expecting more complete control over corporate software.
The new functionality, defined as the `RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp` rule, hit the DevOps and Beta channels this week as part of the Windows Insider programme. The deployment covers systems updated to Build 26220.7535. The mechanism is designed to work with key device fleet management tools such as Microsoft Intune and System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). Once the policy is activated, the operating system automatically initiates the process of uninstalling the AI assistant, allowing a central ‘clean-up’ of the working environment without the need for intervention on individual workstations.
It is worth noting, however, that Microsoft is taking a surgical rather than a radical approach to this process. The policy is not a tool to completely block AI, but rather a mechanism to optimise resources. Removal will only occur in a specific scenario: where both the basic version of Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot are present on a device, the app has not been manually installed by an employee, and the tool itself has been inactive for the past 28 days. This approach suggests that the aim is to remove the ‘dead software’ rather than restricting access to active users, who, incidentally, retain the ability to reinstall the tool.
In addition to the AI policy changes, the latest compilation also brings stability fixes, including a solution to problems with File Explorer hanging and the Windows Update settings menu. However, it is the new application management policy that is the most important signal for the B2B market. The feature remains in testing for now, and no date has yet been set for its widespread release outside of the Insider programme, but for IT directors it is a clear sign of a return to more granular control of systems in the generative AI era.
