Imagine turning on your LG smart TV, only to find an app you never wanted—Microsoft Copilot—permanently parked on your home screen. This scenario has become a reality for many users, stirring frustration and raising eyebrows over the growing presence of AI in our everyday devices. A recent report from Tom's Hardware highlights that numerous LG TV owners have taken to Reddit to express their discontent with this unwelcome addition that they feel has been thrust upon them following a software update.
The controversy began when a recent update to webOS, LG’s proprietary operating system, introduced the Copilot app without any prior warning or option to remove it. This situation feels particularly intrusive as users discovered that, post-update, the app appears automatically when the TV starts up. To complicate matters, LG’s own user manual states that preinstalled apps cannot be deleted, meaning the Copilot app is here to stay, nestled among popular streaming services like Netflix and Hulu.
LG has previously made announcements about integrating AI into its television line-up, particularly at CES 2025, where it aimed to position itself as the premier ‘AI TV’ brand. The company unveiled plans to develop a dedicated AI section within the webOS platform, even rebranding its remote control as an 'AI Remote.' LG claims that Copilot is designed to assist users in efficiently sorting through complex information. Yet, one can't help but wonder what kind of intricate data viewers are really managing on their televisions.
Despite LG's enthusiastic embrace of AI, it seems that they aren't alone in this trend. Other brands are also embedding AI functionalities into their devices, often without explicit user consent. For instance, Google’s Gemini technology is now included in new TCL TVs, while Samsung has announced plans to integrate Microsoft’s Copilot into its models—but without the permanent home screen presence that LG has chosen.
LG, however, appears to be leading the pack in terms of AI integration. According to reports from The Verge, recent LG models come adorned with AI branding across various features, including ‘AI Picture Pro’ and ‘AI Sound Pro,’ along with a built-in chatbot, which could leave users feeling a bit overwhelmed—or perhaps just lonely—as they sift through endless streaming choices.
As of the time of writing, Gizmodo reached out to LG for their perspective on the matter, but no response had been received. In a world increasingly dominated by AI, it begs the question: how much control should consumers have over the technologies embedded in their personal devices? Are we crossing a line when companies dictate what apps we must live with? Feel free to share your thoughts—do you agree with the concerns raised by LG TV users, or do you see the benefits of such AI integrations?
