I always remember WannaCry as a reason to keep Windows updated (no, I wasn’t affected by it), but every new update is full of AI bloat :S
I keep all the communication with the mothership blocked and open just the Wuauserv, Bits and few domains just for updates, and every new update that are new services trying to call home, and this one update sitting here waiting for me to allow internet access I read the content and it is very descriptive about “Copilot+ PCs unique features”, “AI-Powered experience”, “Accessibility and input” (they added AI to a bunch of stuff), “User interface and experience” (more AI and widgets), then they say they added this Windows Hello and Windows Share that I don’t even want to know, and for security all they say is “Critical security fixes are included to help keep your system protected against emerging threats.” but to get this I need to get all their AI crap that might be a bigger security and privacy risk than whatever “Critical security fix” they included :S
Every new internet-connected feature they add seems to also increase attack surface, so this is a weird dilemma. Still better to keep things up to date in the short term. In the long term, I’ve made the choice to switch to an OS that respects user preferences.
Edit: I’ve also heard that the Windows 11 IoT enterprise edition doesnt come with all this bloat but still gets regular security updates
And every new update you get more crap running in the background, stunting your performance and draining your battery