Unlike Meta, Microsoft doesn’t need to change its name to prove it’s committing to an entirely new technology platform, just to make the announcement.
After launching its AI-powered Bing search engine earlier this year, the company unveiled Microsoft 365 Copilot for Office apps.
Microsoft offered an AI tool for developers in 2021 with GitHub Copilot. At the Build developer conference, Microsoft is taking the next inevitable step: making AI an integral part of Windows 11.
How to use Windows Copilot
The new Windows Copilot tool sits in the Windows sidebar, and like Bing’s AI chat, you can use it as a super-powerful search engine by typing in general questions.
Staying true to its name, it is deeply integrated into Windows. You can ask it to perform tasks within the operating system, such as turning on night light mode or changing the desktop background, without searching for specific settings.
Windows Copilot can also function as a true virtual assistant by summarizing documents or launching a photo application.
“I think of Windows and the role of AI as an opportunity,” said Panos Panay, Microsoft’s executive vice president and chief product officer, in an interview with Engadget ahead of the launch.
“We have hundreds of millions of people using Windows, and bringing the power of AI to Windows 11 will not only provide the opportunity to become more creative and productive, but ultimately help every Windows user become a power user.” he added.
Windows Copilot, which will be available for preview in June, also has the potential to reach far more users than Bing.
The company’s search engine has clearly received a lot of attention thanks to artificial intelligence, and Microsoft said it reached 100 million daily active users a month after the launch of the AI chat feature.
