At the Microsoft Build 2023 developer conference, Microsoft announced its plans to bring full-fledged Bing AI-powered chat to Windows 11 and integrate it into the desktop experience. This new feature, known as “Windows Copilot,” aims to automate various tasks, including copying and pasting texts or media, taking screenshots, managing snap assist, and more.
Available for Users in Windows Insider Program
The Windows Copilot update will be available for preview in June, initially accessible to users in the Windows Insider Program. It should be noted that Copilot is not designed as a direct competitor to personal assistants like Alexa and Siri, but rather as a local search engine pilot, offering similar functionalities.
Windows Copilot provides two modes of interaction: the standard search fashion and a conversational mode. In the conversational mode, users can ask the Bing AI, which powers Copilot, a wide range of questions, such as the current time in London, the weather in their region, or the latest sports scores. Essentially, it aims to replicate the capabilities of a search engine.
To access Windows Copilot, users can simply click on the dedicated Copilot button conveniently located on the taskbar. This action will activate the Windows Copilot sidebar, which will be visible across all apps and programs on the desktop.
Autodetection Feature
Windows Copilot has the ability to automatically detect the app opened on the left side of the screen and suggest actions accordingly. For instance, users can request Copilot to personalize settings, plan a fishing trip, or summarize and compose text from any app, thereby enhancing productivity.
Copilot is powered by ChatGPT and Bing Chat, enabling support for first and third-party plugins. In the past, generative AI models like ChatGPT relied on internal scrapped data for knowledge retrieval. However, with the introduction of plugins, ChatGPT and Bing can directly connect with third-party platforms, allowing services like Instacart or Kayak to integrate with Copilot seamlessly.
One of the notable functionalities of Windows Copilot is its ability to provide information directly from third-party platforms. Users can ask Copilot to share their Spotify playlist and engage in discussions or request it to play songs on Spotify, demonstrating the direct utilization of AI.
Moreover, Microsoft plans to launch a plugin store for Windows Copilot, offering developers the opportunity to innovate and reach customers. Similar to app stores like Play Store or App Store, the plugin store will host AI plugins that expand the capabilities of Copilot. This enables services from Instacart, Kayak, Expedia, and more to be accessible within Windows 11.
Here’s a summary of Windows Copilot’s features:
- AI-powered assistant: Copilot leverages Bing’s AI and ChatGPT-4 to answer complex queries and assist in day-to-day activities.
- Universal compatibility: The feature seamlessly works across all apps, documents, and desktops, providing text summarization and composition.
- Integrated experience: Windows Copilot is tightly integrated with Bing Chat and supports first and third-party plugins, offering a centralized AI assistant accessed through a toggle on the taskbar.
- Taskbar accessibility: Users can easily access Copilot through a pinned option on the taskbar, making the Copilot sidebar available across all apps.
- Content capabilities: Copilot seamlessly integrates with Microsoft 365 Copilot, facilitating tasks such as document writing, rewriting, summarization, and on-screen explanations.
- Plugin support: Windows Copilot supports plugins, allowing developers to innovate and expand functionality. Plugins from services like Instacart, Kayak, and Expedia are readily available on Windows 11.
Arriving in June as a preview, the AI-powered Windows 11 Copilot update will be accessible
Original source: windowslatest.com
