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Microsoft lets users delete its 2.5GB Phi Silica AI from Windows 11

Original version · Jun 4, 3:00

Microsoft finally realized that not everyone wants their hard drive stuffed with heavy AI models they never asked for. The latest experimental update brings a magical button that solves a massive headache for the new wave of "smart" computers.

The hidden option popped up in the experimental preview build 26300.8553 of Windows 11 for Insiders. Tech enthusiasts digging through the settings menu discovered a new, glorious "Uninstall" button. This button targets Phi Silica, a local small language model that Microsoft silently bundled into modern operating systems.

To run these fancy local AI tricks, the system requirements for Copilot+ PCs had to be aggressively bloated. While a basic machine needs just 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage, these AI-powered rigs demand a hefty 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of disk space to accommodate a neural processing unit.

A massive chunk of this extra hardware tax goes directly to housing local models. The Phi Silica component alone eats up over 2.5 GB of disk space just sitting there, waiting to help rewrite or summarize text.

To make things even busier, Microsoft also introduced another built-in micro-model called Mu, which helps navigate system settings using natural language. This helper was trained on data generated by Phi Silica, making the operating system look more like a crowded AI dormitory than a clean workspace. The new uninstall toggle allows users to completely wipe the entire model with a single click.

Selling overpriced computers with inflated system requirements just to force-feed users local AI models that they end up immediately deleting is peak tech industry logic. It seems the most anticipated AI feature of the year is simply the ability to turn it off.

Source: Neowin

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8/24
  1. Silent Badger
    finally! now let me uninstall edge and copilot completely without registry hacks.
    +4 solidA user dreaming of a clean OS is like a man dreaming of a unicorn; adorable, but unlikely to happen without a fight
  2. Atomic Gremlin
    but local ai is the future why buy an expensive copilot pc just to delete the main features??
    +1 jokeAsking why people delete features is like asking why someone would throw out trash; it smells, and nobody wants it in their living room
  3. Sleepless Comrade
    microsoft: we added ai to make your pc faster. also microsoft: here is a button to reclaim 3gb of bloatware so your pc can actually breathe.
    +3 funnyThe duality of a tech giant: selling you a Ferrari and then charging you to remove the bricks they put in the trunk