Microsoft reveals its new AI assistant Windows Copilot

Microsoft has announced Windows Copilot(opens in a new tab), an AI assistant for Windows 11. Placed behind a button on your taskbar, Windows Copilot is designed to work across various different apps; perform operations such as copying, pasting or using the Snipping Tool; and generate summaries or revisions of your content.

Windows Copilot will also work with Microsoft’s AI chatbot Bing Chat to pull up information and answer questions, such as the time in another time zone or what flights are available to a given destination (Bing is also now being tapped by ChatGPT for live search results). In this respect Windows Copilot appears to replicate much of the function of Microsoft’s previous AI assistant Cortana, but with enhanced productivity features that can carry out tasks as well as provide information. Microsoft shut down its Cortana mobile apps in 2021, and scaled back its prevalence in Windows 11.

When reached for comment, a Microsoft spokesperson emphasised that “Copilot’s large language models are not trained on your tenant(opens in a new tab) data or on your prompts,” and that your data will “stay within the compliance boundary(opens in a new tab).” Basically, Copilot doesn’t learn from your organisation’s data, and your data won’t leave the internal boundaries you draw within your organisation.

Previews for Windows Copilot will begin June 11. Mashable has a more complete rundown of Windows Copilot’s features.   

Microsoft previously revealed Copilot for Microsoft 365 in March, touting it as capable of providing first drafts in Word or entire presentations with a single prompt. Now Microsoft appears to be freeing the Copilot from being siloed in apps, allowing it to spread throughout the entire Windows 11 operating system. 

Microsoft also announced that the Microsoft Store on Windows will soon be infused with AI as well, adding a curated section dedicated to AI products as well as customer review summaries generated by — you guessed it — AI.

UPDATE: May. 25, 2023, 3:35 p.m. AEST This article has been updated with comment from Microsoft.