In recent days, LG TV users have been expressing complaints on social media platform Reddit about Microsoft’s artificial intelligence (AI) tool – Copilot voice assistant suddenly appearing on their TV screens, with no way to hide or remove it.
Many posters have voiced their dissatisfaction, seeing this as the latest example of corporations forcibly imposing AI technology on users.
TV manufacturer LG has stated that the voice-activated AI assistant is designed to help users search for content and explore programs that match their preferences. However, consumers are not convinced. Some users have expressed dissatisfaction with the AI tool experience, while others are dismayed by the practice of mandatory AI usage.
Some users are even concerned that their privacy may be compromised when Copilot accesses the TV’s built-in microphone.
A spokesperson for LG told Bloomberg, “We want to clarify that Microsoft Copilot is provided in the form of a shortcut icon for the purpose of enhancing user convenience.”
The spokesperson also mentioned that Copilot is not a native application but simply a link used to open Microsoft’s AI assistant on the web.
To address users’ privacy concerns, LG stated that Copilot will only activate the TV microphone with the “explicit consent of the user.”
The spokesperson mentioned that LG will allow users to delete the Copilot shortcut in an upcoming software update for its webOS operating system.
In a blog post in August, Microsoft stated that when using Copilot on the TV, the animated avatar “responds based on the tone of the conversation and synchronizes lip movements.”