Microsoft adds new Copilot features to Windows 11 as AI hype remains high

Microsoft is bringing more generative AI capabilities to Windows 11 with a new update for the operating system.

Available today, the upgrade will add more functionality to Copilot in Windows 11, Microsoft’s built-in generative AI app, including the ability to tell Copilot to adjust your PC's settings, a new photo editing feature, and plug-ins for apps like OpenTable.

The updates, which are part of Microsoft’s Copilot preview, are part of the company’s effort to incorporate generative AI across its various product lines beyond its Azure cloud segment. It's also part of a broader industry push to use AI PCs, computers with built-in neural processors, to boost PC sales after years of declines.

Microsoft debuted a dedicated Copilot button for Windows keyboards, the first new key in nearly 30 years, at CES 2024, indicating its intention to make Copilot a centerpiece of the operating system going forward.

To use Copilot’s new "skills," as Microsoft calls them, you’d call up the assistant via the Copilot key or on-screen shortcut and type in commands like “show battery information,” “empty recycle bin,” or “launch live captions,” and the AI assistant will perform the appropriate task.

Other options include resizing text, launching voice input, and turning on the battery saver. For most people, these commands will make navigating their computers just a bit easier. But they hold plenty of potential to dramatically change how we interact with our PCs in the future.

:story: Yahoo Finance