You know something's wrong when Clippy fills you with nostalgia for simpler times

It looks like you want to irritate Windows users. Do you want some help with that?

There are some things that can't be unseen, including Microsoft posting a hand-drawn image of the company's infamous assistant, Clippy, on social media.

The drawing was posted on X earlier this week and was broadly welcomed by users. However, we suspect many were too young to remember the horror unleashed when the assistant turned up in Microsoft Office, replete with tips and suggestions for users to get the most out of the productivity suite.

Microsoft's latest foray into assistants, Copilot, shares much of the same intrusiveness as its predecessor from decades ago, except this time, the software biz is expecting users to pay for the privilege of having their workflow interrupted by not-so-helpful suggestions.

The sketch of Clippy was made in the latest version of Paint, which has itself failed to escape Microsoft's determination to heavily pepper its product line with generative AI. We used the Image Creator option to have Paint produce a drawing of Clippy from a text prompt, and the results were interesting.

Clippy according to Image Creator in Paint – click to enlarge

Microsoft has made multiple attempts to bring assistants to Windows over the years – there was the disastrous Microsoft Bob from last century, Clippy and pals, and Cortana. Copilot represents the latest effort, with its tentacles extending far deeper into the company's products than the previous incarnations.

However, while Copilot represents a technological step change, the assistant has not been universally welcomed. Criticism has dogged Microsoft's attempts to shoehorn the technology into Office Microsoft 365.

The Windows-maker has rarely seen a rebrand it didn't like. Perhaps the outpouring of affection for the irritating paperclip might give the company pause for thought. In some quarters, Copilot has become a slightly toxic brand. But Clippy? What was once an annoying pop-up is now a beloved reminder of simpler times when assistants were added in a misguided attempt to help users rather than increase shareholder value.

Clippy as the new name for Copilot? Probably not. But be careful what you wish for. ®