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The problem is that anti-virus software is not a normal application, it is a weird, very complex kind of parasite that burrows deep into the operating system. This means Microsoft must be very careful, lest the parasite unintentionally kill the host.

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Typically, that would be called "a virus"

No. "Symbiote," likely; "parasite," perhaps. "Virus," not at all.

Can a virus make its host dependant on it?

Symbiont. The word you're looking for is symbiont, not parasite. A symbiont lives in harmony with the host, exchanging something in exchange for the resource it consumes (in this case protection). A parasite just takes, and gives nothing back to the host.

(Of course, let's ignore the obvious joke about some AV solutions like Symantec.)

Given your definitions, I'm pretty sure commercial AV is just parasites.

Yeah, the distinction between a symbiont and a parasite is mostly of degree, not kind, and AV software these days is increasingly being found on the blurry line between the two.

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