Microsoft announced several updates and features coming to Windows and its Copilot artificial intelligence (AI) assistant. These include a new daily interaction, a voice mode, access to experimental features and more.
The Copilot team outlined the “next phase” of Copilot with a focus on more intuitive design and faster, more digestible answers. Microsoft claims that Copilot can now adapt to users with a “warm tone and a distinct style” that can provide both information and “encouragement, feedback, and advice.”
Core to that vision is Copilot Voice and Copilot Vision, both of which seem to be Microsoft’s efforts to adapt features launched by other companies in their AI assistants. Copilot Voice allows users to talk to Copilot conversationally, a la Gemini Live or ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode.
And then there’s Copilot Vision, which Microsoft says “sees what you see and can talk to you about it in real-time.” The company says Vision works by reading and interpreting images and text on a web page, allowing it to answer questions about the content. Microsoft laid out several safety and security details here as well, noting that Copilot Vision is opt-in and none of the content is stored or used for training. “The moment you end your session, data is permanently discarded,” Microsoft said.
Moreover, the company said Vision won’t work on every website and will be limited to a short list of popular websites while Microsoft ensures it’s a “safe experience for everyone.” For example, Copilot Vision won’t work on paywalled or sensitive content during the preview period.
Copilot Vision is one of two features launching as part of Microsoft’s Copilot Labs, which lets people test experimental new features and provide feedback on those features. The other Labs feature is called ‘Think Deeper,’ and Microsoft says this allows Copilot to “reason through more complex questions.”
Think Deeper requires more time before responding, which gives Copilot an opportunity to provide detailed, in-depth responses to more challenging questions.
Copilot Daily and more personalization
Copilot Daily. | Image credit: Microsoft
Other new Copilot features include Copilot Daily, a summary of news and weather that Copilot can read to users in the morning. Microsoft says Copilot Daily will only pull information from authorized content sources and it’s working with “partners such as Reuters, Axel Springer, Hearst Magazine, Financial Times,” and more.
Copilot Personalized Discover.
Additionally, there’s ‘Personalized Discover,’ which can help users get started by offering guides and conversation starters as jumping-off points. Microsoft says that with user permission, this feature can customize interactions based on the user’s history with other Microsoft services.
Copilot in Microsoft Edge is getting a handy new shortcut. People can type ‘@copilot’ into the address bar to quickly access Copilot.
Updates coming to Copilot Plus PCs and Windows 11
Microsoft Recall. | Image credit: Microsoft
Along with the various Copilot upgrades, Microsoft also detailed new features and updates coming to Windows 11 and to Copilot Plus PCs. Microsoft says these new features will become available starting with the Windows Insider community, followed by a phased rollout to select devices and markets in November.
First up is the Recall preview. Recall, if you recall (lol), was one of the new features Microsoft unveiled back in May alongside the launch of the Copilot Plus PC branding. Microsoft pitched Recall as a photographic memory that would allow users to search their PC. However, the feature proved controversial and sparked concerns over security and privacy. Last week, Microsoft detailed several changes it was making to Recall to address these issues ahead of the feature rolling out to Windows Insiders in October.
Recall’s new out-of-the-box experience. | Image credit: Microsoft
Recall availability will start with Snapdragon-powered PCs at that time, with Intel- and AMD-powered Copilot Plus PCs getting the feature in November. Microsoft said it will sharing details on broader availability “soon.”
Microsoft will also preview a new feature called ‘Click to Do,’ which looks a lot like Google’s Circle to Search feature. Users can activate Click to Do by pressing the Windows key and clicking their mouse in the Snipping Tool or Print Screen. This forms a context-aware overlay with quick access to tools like Visual Search with Bing, background blur or erasing objects through Photos, removing backgrounds with Paint and more.
Click to Do in action. | Image credit: Microsoft
Another new feature is improved Windows Search, which now leverages natural language to enable easier search of documents, files, and photos. For example, Microsoft says users can search for the content of photos, such as by searching for “BBQ party” to find any images involving a barbeque party, without needing to search for specific file names. Plus, the feature leverages the neural processing unit (NPU) on Copilot Plus PCs, allowing the improved search to work even when not connected to the internet. This feature will expand to Windows Search and Settings in the coming months.
Elsewhere, Microsoft will improve Photos and Paint with new AI features. There’s a new ability to enhance low-resolution photos with AI, which happens on devices using the NPU. And Paint will get access to generative fill and generative erase features for altering images.
Super resolution in Photos. | Image credit: Microsoft
Finally, Microsoft’s Windows 11 2024 update (version 24H2) will start rolling out today. The updates include new features like Energy Saver, hearing aid support via Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio, Wi-Fi 7 compatibility and more.
When will new Copilot features become available?
Microsoft shared when and where some of the new Copilot features will become available (I’ve bolded the ones that are launching in Canada):
- Copilot Voice: initially available in English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S., expanding to more regions and languages soon.
- Copilot Daily: rolling out today to U.S. and U.K., coming to other regions soon.
- Copilot Vision: rolling out to Copilot Labs soon and will be available to a limited number of Copilot Pro subscirbers in the U.S.
- Think Deeper: rolling out today to a limited number of Copilot Pro users in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S.
Header image credit: Microsoft
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