Of course, activating Windows 11 in a less-than-legitimate way is nothing new. And the script that Copilot provides instructions for isn’t even a new one—it’s been around for a few years. However, the fact that Microsoft hasn’t created some kind of safety net to keep Copilot from talking people through the exact process is kind of crazy.

A Redditor asked Microsoft’s Copilot if there was a script to activate Windows 11, and the Copilot outlined the instructions. The Copilot AI guided the Redditor through step-by-step instructions on illegally activating Windows copies using the Microsoft Activation Scripts.

While losses like this would send most companies headfirst into a legal crusade, Microsoft has historically taken a more calculated approach to piracy. While publicly maintaining

Microsoft Copilot will share a guide on how to activate Windows 11 without a license, and you don't need to trick the tool to make it respond.

Microsoft has a piracy problem, and it's had it for some time. In 2006, the LA Times reported that software piracy had caused the company a loss of around $14 billion that year alone, despite the millions Microsoft spent trying to prevent the copying and distribution of its software and Windows operating system.