TV makers say voice-activated AI assistants will help viewers search content and discover shows tailored to their taste. But some consumers either find the experience unsatisfying or resent having it forced on them. — Bloomberg
LG Electronics Inc will let owners of its televisions delete Microsoft Corp’s artificial intelligence software amid a consumer backlash.
In recent days, owners of LG TVs have taken to Reddit to complain that Microsoft’s Copilot assistant recently popped up on their screens with seemingly no way to hide or remove it.
One post on the "Mildly Infuriating” subreddit has amassed more than 36,000 upvotes and thousands of comments. Another on the Technology subreddit tallied over 11,000 upvotes. Many posters see this as the latest example of companies imposing AI on them whether they want it or not.
TV makers say voice-activated AI assistants will help viewers search content and discover shows tailored to their taste. But some consumers either find the experience unsatisfying or resent having it forced on them. Others expressed concern that their privacy was at risk when Copilot accesses the built-in microphones on their TVs.
Amid the furor, an LG spokesperson contacted Bloomberg to explain AI’s benefits. "We want to clarify that Microsoft Copilot is provided as a shortcut icon to enhance customer accessibility and convenience,” the spokesperson said by email, adding that Copilot is not a native application. It’s merely a link to open Microsoft’s AI assistant on the web.
In an effort to allay viewers’ privacy concerns, the spokesperson said Copilot would only activate the TV microphone with "the customer’s explicit consent.”
LG will let customers delete the Copilot shortcut following an upcoming software update to its webOS operating system.
When used on televisions, Copilot features an animated avatar "that reacts and lip-syncs as it speaks, with expressions that match the tone of the conversation,” Microsoft wrote on its blog in August.
Gemini, the AI platform developed by Alphabet Inc’s Google, has also rolled out to TVs from TCL and Sony Group Corp. But Gemini is deeply integrated into the core software. – Bloomberg
