Windows Copilot Adds An AI Helper To Windows 11
The days of Cortana are long gone, but Microsoft hasn't given up on baking an assistant directly into its Windows operating system. Starting in June, the company will introduce a new feature in preview called Windows Copilot. The tool leverages artificial intelligence to bring directly into Windows 11 many of the features you may currently perform using ChatGPT and various AI plugins. The feature will join the existing AI features found in the company's Edge browser.
According to Microsoft — which shared a video preview of the new feature in action — Windows Copilot can be accessed by clicking a button in the taskbar, which opens a sidebar. That sidebar remains open, serving as a direct portal to AI capable of a variety of tasks, including things like summarizing documents, getting answers to questions, and even retrieving info on things like bus routes and plane tickets. Among other things, Copilot will include ChatGPT and Bing plugins, according to Microsoft.
Microsoft is encouraging devs to build Copilot plugins
Microsoft notes that Copilot is integrated into Windows, so unlike some third-party tools you may be using, this new AI-powered assistant is able to change things about your machine if you so desire. You can use the tool to, for example, ask Copilot to change your display settings and it will. While this is a very convenient option for everyone, it may be particularly appealing to those who find using computers intimidating.
It sounds like the true usefulness of the tool will be realized once developers get in on the action. Microsoft encourages developers to bring their plugins to Copilot, which means the AI assistant may one day serve as a portal to some of your favorite third-party tools.
The move isn't surprising, as Microsoft took the leap into consumer AI in a big way with Bing Chat. The company went straight to implementing the tool in its products, not the least of which is Edge with its sidebar and easy-to-access image generator, among other things. It's unclear at this time how long it will be before Copilot becomes a regular part of Windows 11.