For years, we've been able to freely use all the features in Windows apps like Notepad and Paint. But those days seem to be gone. Yes, the core features are still freely accessible, but the latest AI ...

There's a difference between the "Notepad app" and notepad.exe. The Notepad app has the AI and all the new stuff in it. But the old C : \windows\system32\notepad.exe still exists, and is unencumbered ...