Even Microsoft Notepad is getting AI text editing now

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Microsoft’s plan to add cloud-based AI “rewrite” features to Windows Notepad and image generation to Paint is being met with skepticism from users who value these apps as fast, minimal, offline tools. Many worry that tying basic text editing to a Microsoft account and cloud services will erode privacy, increase telemetry, and further bloat the OS, seeing it as part of a broader trend of “AI everywhere” driven more by corporate strategy and investor hype than genuine user needs. A minority note that AI-assisted text editing can be useful, but argue it belongs in richer editors or system-wide text services rather than in a bare-bones utility.

Scope of the Change

  • Thread discusses Microsoft adding cloud-based “Rewrite” AI text-editing to Notepad, requiring a Microsoft account sign-in.
  • Paint also gains AI image generation; some see this as part of a broader “AI everywhere” push across Windows.

Notepad’s Role & Feature Creep

  • Many argue Notepad’s value is being a minimal, instant, plain‑text box used for:
    • Stripping formatting
    • Quick scratch notes
    • Viewing/editing config files
  • Tabs, autosave, and session restore are widely criticized:
    • Break the expectation of a blank document on launch
    • Interfere with workflows needing many independent windows
    • Create ambiguity about what’s actually saved to disk
  • A minority defend tabs/autosave/spellcheck as long‑overdue, basic editor features that reduce data loss and improve everyday note-taking.

Privacy, Cloud Dependence, and Trust

  • Strong concern that AI features mean all text is sent to Microsoft:
    • Fear of covert training on user data, “telemetry,” and account-based tracking.
    • Worry there will soon be no safe place to paste secrets, passwords, or keys.
  • Requirement for Microsoft account and cloud service is seen as:
    • Contradicting “AI PC” / NPU marketing (why not run locally?).
    • Another step toward Windows as a networked, surveillant “service” rather than a personal OS.
  • Some note traffic inspection is theoretically possible but practically very difficult; Windows being closed source amplifies distrust.

Why Per‑App AI Instead of System‑Wide?

  • Several ask why this isn’t a generic OS text‑box feature or a standalone app.
  • Comparisons to macOS, where system text services and AI writing tools integrate at the control level.
  • Others argue app-level integration is needed for context-aware behavior but still think Notepad is the wrong target; Word/OneNote/WordPad would be more appropriate.

AI Hype, Utility, and Costs

  • Many express “AI fatigue,” likening the push to the crypto bubble and calling it mostly marketing.
  • Critics:
    • See LLMs as “stochastic parrots” with heavy energy use, hallucinations, and limited reliability.
    • View broad integration as mainly data extraction and ad/lock‑in preparation.
  • Supporters:
    • Report large personal productivity gains for coding, boilerplate, and summarization.
    • Argue we’re early in the hype cycle and long‑term productivity and efficiency gains will be substantial.

Business Motives and UX Backlash

  • Widespread belief that:
    • Top‑down mandates and investor FOMO are driving “AI in every product” KPIs.
    • Data collection, rate limiting, and future monetization (including ads) are key motives.
  • Many see this as another step in Windows “enshittification” alongside Recall, new Outlook, and UI/UX regressions.
  • A nontrivial number of commenters say they’ll:
    • Disable AI wherever possible
    • Switch to alternatives (Notepad++, Notepad2, third‑party viewers/editors)
    • Or migrate to Linux/macOS entirely.