LG Backtracks Microsoft Copilot Inclusion, Will Soon Let Users Delete App on Smart TVs

LG has quickly responded to the user backlash over its decision to forcibly include a Microsoft Copilot app on its smart TVs as part of the latest webOS update.

This week, LG found itself under fire as LG smart TV users flocked to Reddit to report what appeared to be a manditory inclusion of Microsoft’s Copilot AI chatbot. According to Engadget, a LG representative states that the company “will take steps to allow users to delete the shortcut icon if they wish.”

From user accounts, LG’s webOS update added a Copilot tile to the webOS interface without any means of deleting the app, only hiding it from the home screen. Frustratingly, the app itself appears to be only a means of launching the AI chatbot within the TV’s browser. So, it isn’t even as though Microsoft has developed a boutique Copilot app, designed for webOS and LG’s TVs. Instead, the latest controversy revolves around what is essentially a shortcut to an interface that anyone could technically use prior.

With this in mind, LG did previously announce its plans to partner with Microsoft and bring Copilot to webOS and its smart TVs. LG noted that this is a part of its “AI TV” strategy. LG’s smart TVs already leverage AI technology by way of the Alpha AI processor. This tech is able to upscale content to make it look as if it were shot natively in 4K. LG’s displays also feature AI brightness control, which monitors the ambient light in your home to make adjustments without user input.

So, while LG has clear ambitions in using AI, there still remains pushback from its user base. Smart TV users are patient and will tolerate a lot, but when prices remain high for standardized sizing of OLED displays, customers are going to be very vocal. This seems especially true for manditory inclusions of AI software and features.