- There’s a new version of FlyOOBE for Windows 11
- This is a debloating tool to customize and trim down the OS
- Version 2.4 packs new abilities to ditch AI features, some of which are courtesy of another tool called RemoveWindowsAI
A popular tweaking tool designed to debloat Windows 11 has a new version that has some fresh powers to strip out AI features from the OS.
Neowin reports that version 2.4 of FlyOOBE is now out and the headline change is the improved detection of AI features across Windows 11 and fresh additions in terms of removing those abilities.
On the GitHub page for FlyOOBE, the developer explains that the tool now boasts “optional deep cleanup capabilities via external tooling such as RemoveWindowsAI”.
The developer also references Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s quote that “we need to get beyond the arguments of slop vs sophistication”, and says that they agree with that sentiment – but that Windows 11 users still deserve a choice about whether AI features are in the OS, or not.
After all, if you don’t use them, you may not want those extra bits and bobs hanging around in the background of Windows 11, and utilities like FlyOOBE give you the opportunity to remove AI extras (and other functionality in the OS that you may regard as bloat).
If you’re wondering about the name of this software, ‘OOBE’ refers to the ‘out of box experience’ or Windows 11 setup, as this utility lets you change how the operating system is configured in a bunch of ways.
Analysis: pro-choice not anti-AI
The developer further explains that this is about being a “pro user choice” and not anti-AI, but notes that the name of the new AI debloating controls is now officially ‘Slopilot’, which is either a reference to removing AI slop, or Copilot features that ‘slow’ your down PC (or possibly both).
At any rate, the new AI removal features are mainly leveraged by RemoveWindowsAI (and presumably other unnamed third-party elements), which is a separate tool made by Zoicware (and also available via a GitHub download). Our sister site Tom’s Hardware has put that utility through its paces in the past, and found it to be useful for easily disabling a bunch of AI features in Windows 11.
That said, I’d still pause for thought before diving into this kind of endeavor. Any third-party software needs to be regarded with some caution, even if it’s been well-used (and FlyOOBE has some 2.5 million downloads to date, the developer informs us). There’s also potential for trouble down the line with disabling components in Windows 11 – what works fine now could prove a serious spanner in the works if it clashes with a future Microsoft monthly update.
For those reasons, unless you’re really keen to get rid of as much AI as possible in Windows 11, I’d recommend putting up with it (and disabling what you can via traditional methods in Windows settings). Still, for those who want some seriously in-depth removal options – and there are clearly a lot of folks in that particular boat, judging from the popularity of this kind of software – these AI debloating tools do a good enough job by all accounts.
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