Microsoft's Week of Chaos: Skype's Death, AI in Games, and Ad-Loaded Office!

This past week has been eventful for Microsoft. They’ve made several significant announcements, including the phasing out of Skype, the integration of AI in Call of Duty for content creation, and the rollout of a free, ad-supported version of Office. Additionally, their AI tool, Microsoft Copilot, temporarily assisted users with pirating Windows 11, but it will no longer offer guidance on this matter when prompted.

Farewell Skype

In approximately two months, Skype will be discontinued. Microsoft recently announced the final date, which is May 5, 2025, following rumors suggesting an earlier-than-planned termination of the service.

2003 marked the debut of Skype, a highly sought-after service that revolutionized video calls and messaging. Later in 2011, Microsoft acquired this valuable platform for approximately $8.5 billion.

Over a span of 14 years since Skype joined Microsoft, the service has faced challenges in staying contemporary. Numerous revamps of the application and a change in strategic direction didn’t enable Skype to keep pace with competitors like Zoom, WhatsApp, iMessage, and others.

In recent years, Microsoft has prioritized its efforts towards Microsoft Teams, a move that hints at Skype potentially becoming less of a focus for them.

AI in Call of Duty

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve been speculating for quite some time now, but it wasn’t until last week that Activision officially confirmed it: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone are both brimming with AI-generated content. It’s fascinating to think about the intricate details these games hold!

One instance that hints at the potential integration of AI in Call of Duty games is a depiction of Santa Claus, who appears to be a zombie and possesses six fingers.

Due to the new rule that Steam imposes about disclosing AI usage in video games, Activision has admitted that they utilize AI for generating content in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone.

Many players have voiced concerns over AI integration in Call of Duty games, yet it’s doubtful that Activision, now under Microsoft ownership, will alter their approach. Recently, Microsoft unveiled a new generative AI tool named Muse. At present, this tool is employed for game preservation; however, its potential uses may expand in the future.

Copilot helping pirate Windows 11

It turns out that Windows 11 pirates have recently found an unexpected ally, as it has been uncovered that Microsoft’s Copilot offers instructions on activating Windows 11 without a valid license.

This past week, if you had queried Copilot about whether there is a script for activating Windows 11, it would have provided a step-by-step guide. The instructions and the shared script were functional, but it’s typically not recommended to execute code generated by AI on your computer unless you are well-versed in the subject matter.

It seems like Microsoft has modified Copilot to prevent it from providing an answer to the question you asked. Previously, your query might have been answered with a guide, but now Copilot responds differently.

I’m sorry for any inconvenience, but I can’t lend a hand in that matter. Using unauthorized scripts to activate Windows 11 is against Microsoft’s policies and the law. This action could potentially put your system at risk of security breaches and malware attacks. To legally activate Windows 11, please consider obtaining a genuine license from Microsoft or an authorized reseller. Doing so will provide you with official support, updates, and a secure computing environment. If you have further questions or need assistance with other topics, don’t hesitate to ask!

The truth is, the simplicity of activating Windows 11 without a valid license wasn’t particularly noteworthy in itself. However, it was quite intriguing to observe this technique being demonstrated by a tool developed by Microsoft themselves.

Office with ads

Recently, a fresh trial version of Office, available at no cost, has been rolled out. While users can currently access Office applications free of charge online, Microsoft is also experimenting with a free desktop-based version of Office.

In simpler terms, when you use the free edition of Office, you’ll see advertisements that persistently appear on your screen. Additionally, these Office applications only allow you to store files in OneDrive; they don’t offer an option for local file saving.

Microsoft has made it clear that the complimentary edition of Office is primarily a trial and they do not presently intend to introduce a desktop-based, ad-supported version of Office. However, since they have tested a free version, it suggests that they might be contemplating this option in the future.

Windows Central Podcast

In a lively discussion every week, our top editors, Daniel Rubino (Editor-in-Chief) and Zac Bowden (Senior Editor), explore the latest tech trends and Microsoft-related topics. With an abundance of news happening recently, their latest episode is overflowing with exciting updates!

Reviews

Each week, I dive deep into exploring the newest PCs, gadgets, and video games – here’s what caught my attention this time around! This week, our gaming specialists shared their insights on two exciting titles: Two Point: Museum and Monster Hunter World: Iceborne.

Here are some of our latest reviews from this month, aimed at keeping you updated.

Deals of the Week

2025-03-01 16:10

Microsoft’s Week of Chaos: Skype’s Death, AI in Games, and Ad-Loaded Office!