In 2024, Microsoft launched its first PC AI with Copilot+ which included artificial intelligence functions not available in the Windows 11 standard. The reason was that they needed specific hardware with NPUcoprocessors for AI calculations, of at least 40 TOPS (Tera operations per second) to run the models locally. The first computers arrived with processors ARM rather x86 because those of amd and Intel They didn’t reach that performance, but that seems to be no longer a problem. Microsoft has announced the arrival of a set of new functions that will begin to be integrate AI into mainstream Windows 11 PCs, without needing to purchase a specific Copilot Plus model. The deployment is global, in all the markets where Copilot is present.
Microsoft wants to change the way users use their computers and give the voice a central role. It’s not the first time; he already did it with Cortana in Windows 10 and the operating system has accessibility options focused on this way of communicating.
‘You should be able to talk to your PC, have it understand you, and the magic happens from there. With your permission, we want people to be able to share what they’re doing and seeing with their AI in Windows. The PC should be able to act for you‘, he told The Verge Yusuf Mehdiexecutive vice president and chief consumer marketing officer at Microsoft.
For this new way of relating to the PC, Microsoft brings voice capabilities to all Windows 11 computers along with Copilot Vision, Copilot Actions and the integration of the chatbot with the taskbar.
The user can invoke the assistant by saying ‘Hey, Copilot!’. This way, ‘will become the third PC input method. It doesn’t necessarily replace the keyboard or mouse, but it is an important addition and will provide a new and profound way of interacting,’ says Mehdi.
At Microsoft they believe that users will embrace this change in the way they relate to the machine. ‘All the data we have shows that, when people use their voice, they love it. Today they already speak through their computers, and I believe that this transition to “talk with and talk to” will become a reality and really take off‘ explains Mehdi.
Copilot Vision is the evolution of the controversial function Recall that never reached the European Union. With this capability, Copilot analyzes everything displayed on the screen in order to guide the user to use programs, solve PC problems, learn new tasks and even follow step-by-step guides in video games. Unlike the Recall function – which took automatic screenshots of the PC screen -, Copilot Vision is optional.
Copilot Actionswhich already allowed actions to be performed in the browser, now has access to local files on your computer. In this way, you can perform actions such as editing a folder full of photos, always interacting with the user using natural language and leaving them free to do other tasks while Copilot does its thing. At the moment, this feature is limited to a select group of users in Copilot Labs while Microsoft polishes it.
‘At first the agent may make mistakes or face challenges when handling very complex applications. “We are fully committed to learning from how people use it and continuing to improve the experience so that it becomes more capable and fluid over time,” he tells the outlet. Navjot Virkcorporate vice president of Windows Experiences.
Finally, Microsoft brings Copilot to the taskbar. A single click is enough to access vision and voice functions and a unified search on the computer and the Internet.