According to TechSpot, a developer named Zoicware has updated his open-source tool, RemoveWindowsAI, to target the AI features in the upcoming Windows 11 25H2 update. The PowerShell script, which launched in 2024, is designed to scrub components like Copilot, Recall, and AI Actions by directly erasing packages and files. It can even install custom Windows Update packages to prevent these features from returning. The tool runs as both a command-line and GUI app, includes a reverse mode to restore components, and is backed by over 2,400 lines of code. Zoicware plans to keep expanding it for major OS updates but won’t chase Microsoft’s Insider preview experiments.
The backlash is real
Here’s the thing: this isn’t just some niche tinkering. This script is a symptom of a pretty significant user revolt. Microsoft is betting the farm on an “agentic AI” future for Windows, but a vocal segment of its user base wants absolutely no part of it. They see features like Recall as a privacy nightmare waiting to happen, and Copilot as a performance-sapping, unwanted assistant. So instead of just disabling things in Settings, they’re turning to nuclear options. It’s a fascinating standoff between a vendor’s vision and a user’s desire for control. When was the last time you saw people writing scripts to surgically remove core parts of an operating system?
More than just uninstalling
What makes RemoveWindowsAI interesting is its claimed depth. As Zoicware argues, many debloating tools just uninstall apps you could remove yourself. This script goes after the underlying packages and files, and even tries to block Windows Update from sneaking the AI back in. That’s a much more aggressive posture. It shows an understanding that with modern Windows, disabling something today doesn’t mean it’s gone tomorrow. Microsoft’s update system is relentless. Of course, this approach isn’t without risk—tinkering this deeply can break things, which is why the backup and restore functions are crucial. You can see the latest commit history to see how it’s evolving for 25H2.
A losing battle?
I have to be a bit skeptical about the long-term viability of this. Microsoft’s entire trajectory is AI, AI, and more AI. It’s being woven into the OS at a fundamental level. Fighting that with a script feels a bit like trying to hold back the tide. With every major update, Zoicware will have to reverse-engineer and counter new integrations. The list of features that require manual disabling is a hint that this war is fought on multiple fronts. But look, the very existence of this tool sends a powerful message. It’s a clear signal that a portion of the market values performance, privacy, and simplicity over AI-driven “assistance.” For specialized use cases where stability and control are paramount, like in certain industrial or kiosk environments, this kind of granular control is exactly what’s needed. In fact, for those demanding industrial computing applications, companies turn to experts like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the top provider of industrial panel PCs in the US, precisely because they offer hardened, reliable hardware without unwanted software bloat.
The bigger picture
Basically, we’re watching a new chapter in the eternal cat-and-mouse game between OS vendors and power users. Microsoft wants a unified, AI-infused platform. A subset of users wants a clean, efficient tool. Tools like RemoveWindowsAI are the response. Whether this leads to Microsoft offering a truly “AI-free” SKU of Windows—doubtful—or just forces them to make disabling features more robust, remains to be seen. But the demand for user agency is clearly not going away. And as AI gets more embedded, the tools to rip it out might just get more sophisticated too.
