It’s not hard to notice how much AI has exploded into the scene since late 2022. Nearly every service has had some kind of AI functionality added to it, so it can be hard to keep track of which service to visit to accomplish what you want.
For Windows users, that process is set to get a lot simpler as Microsoft Copilot arrives in Windows 11 and other Microsoft offerings. Let’s take a look at what this tool will offer.
What Is Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot is the name of an AI tool that’s built into Windows itself, instead of living as a browser app. Its first form is rolling out to Windows 11 with the latest update from September 2023; once you have it, you’ll see a Copilot icon on the Taskbar and can press Win + C to summon it at any time.
Copilot rolls dozens of features from various AI tools into one place, allowing you to ask a question to a chatbot, make tweaks to an image, and have AI take you to a relevant menu—all without having to juggle multiple apps.
What Does Microsoft Copilot Do?
While we don’t have access to Copilot yet, Microsoft’s Copilot announcement page has lots of details on what it will include. Let’s take a look.
By summoning Copilot, you can ask it anything that you would ask ChatGPT or other chatbots. This includes checking information, generating an email, rephrasing something, or helping explain a topic. Having this available alongside any app, using just a keyboard shortcut, will make it more accessible than ever.
But there’s so much more than that. Copilot is also coming to enhance several Windows apps, including Paint and Photos. Paint will have automated actions like removing background layers, as well as a preview of image generation. Photos will allow you to blur backgrounds, and will have more options to find the photos you’re looking for.
Microsoft is also enhancing other products with a fresh dose of AI. Bing answers will become more personalized, giving you proactive information like letting you know if one of your favorite sports teams will be in town next time you’re planning a trip. When using Bing to shop, you might be asked questions about what exactly you’re looking for, then the AI will provide more specific recommendations for your needs.
Bing’s Image Creator is getting advancements from the DALL.E 3 model, which will continue to make its generated images more detailed and exact.
Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft 365 is getting special attention with Copilot, as enterprise users will be able to use Copilot within apps like Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Part of this is Microsoft 365 Chat, which is an assistant-like chatbot that uses “your entire universe of data at work” to serve you. This includes helping you find media you need, understanding your priorities, and giving you assistance with starting important tasks.
Microsoft Leans Heavily Into AI
Clearly, Microsoft is ready to load up all its featured products with the latest AI advancements. For some people and companies, these changes will be the first they’ve dealt with AI, which makes them a good starting point for those unfamiliar so far. For others who have already embraced AI, these changes give you more power and ways to get to AI tools even faster.
If you don’t love the idea of these tools, you’ll be able to turn off Copilot in Windows and, presumably, in Microsoft 365 apps. But given how much these tools are capable of with little barrier to entry, we’d encourage everyone to at least poke around and see what they can do for you.