.png "blank Coverage")
Microsoft is offering hints about its forthcoming integration of AI features into Windows 11, ahead of a significant OS update focusing on AI capabilities. The tech giant has commenced testing a "new experience" for Copilot within Windows, featuring an animated Copilot icon in the taskbar that appears when users copy text or images.
Explaining the new feature, Microsoft states, "The Copilot icon will change the appearance and animate to indicate that Copilot can help. When you hover your mouse over the Copilot icon, it will provide a menu of actions that you can take, such as summarizing or explaining the copied text."
Initial testing of this experience in the latest Windows 11 Canary builds demonstrates its effectiveness for text, summarizing copied content. While the icon also animates for copied images, this functionality is still under development. Additionally, users will soon be able to drag and drop images into the Copilot icon on the taskbar to receive prompts. Copilot can then analyze the image content, with potential future capabilities including image editing assistance.
In addition to these Copilot enhancements, Microsoft has confirmed that its Notepad app will soon integrate Copilot AI functionality. Users will be able to select text and right-click to "explain with Copilot," enabling Copilot to interpret text, code segments, or log files.
Microsoft has been steadily introducing more AI features into Windows 11 in recent months, with Copilot being a central component. This aligns with the company's broader strategy to establish Copilot as its primary AI brand, in preparation for a significant Windows feature update. Microsoft is aiming for 2024 to be "the year of the AI PC," with plans to include a dedicated Copilot key on keyboards.
While Intel, Qualcomm, and other partners have hinted at a Windows "refresh" focused on AI for 2024, Microsoft has yet to officially confirm these plans. According to Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's executive vice president and consumer chief marketing officer, Copilot within Windows has unique contextual awareness capabilities, allowing it to perform more sophisticated tasks.
The latest test builds of Windows 11 demonstrate Copilot's increasing contextual awareness, with Microsoft also leveraging the NPU hardware available in recent Windows laptops.
Although Windows 12 was previously rumored to be Microsoft's major AI-focused release, it appears that these AI advancements will instead be incorporated into a Windows 11 update later this year, referred to as "24H2." Expect more details on Microsoft's AI plans for Windows to emerge in the coming months as the company continues to refine its vision for the "year of the AI PC."
 |
| Microsoft is offering hints about its forthcoming integration of AI features into Windows 11, ahead of a significant OS update focusing on AI capabilities |