Microsoft announces its latest innovation, Microsoft Copilot, an everyday AI companion designed to make your life easier. The new tech aims to revolutionize how we interact with our devices, offering a seamless experience across Windows 11, Microsoft 365, and web browsers like Edge and Bing.
Microsoft Copilot understands the context of your work and your web activities. It incorporates the intelligence of the web, your work data, and what you’re doing at the moment on your PC to provide better assistance. All of this is done with a strong focus on privacy and security.
Starting September 26, Copilot will begin to roll out as part of a free update to Windows 11. It will also be integrated into Bing, Edge, and Microsoft 365 this fall. For enterprise customers, Microsoft 365 Copilot will be generally available starting November 1, 2023.
Microsoft Copilot in Windows 11:
Seamless Accessibility
One of the standout features of Copilot in Windows 11 is its seamless accessibility. It’s designed to be right there when you need it, without being intrusive. Whether you’re working, studying, or just browsing, Copilot can be accessed directly from the taskbar or activated with a simple Win+C keyboard shortcut. This means you don’t have to navigate through multiple menus or apps to get the assistance you need.
Intelligent Task Management
Copilot isn’t just about answering questions or setting reminders; it’s about understanding the context of what you’re doing and offering relevant assistance. For instance, if you’re working on a PowerPoint presentation, Copilot can suggest design ideas, help with formatting, or even find relevant data to include. It’s like having an expert sitting next to you, guiding you through your tasks.
Cognitive Load Reduction
Multitasking has become the norm, but it comes at the cost of increased cognitive load. Copilot aims to lessen this burden by automating or simplifying tasks. Whether it’s organizing your emails, setting up meetings, or managing your to-do list, Microsoft Copilot takes on the heavy lifting, allowing you to focus on what truly matters.
Enhanced Features in Core Apps
Copilot’s integration goes beyond the operating system; it extends to core Windows apps. For example, the Paint app has been enhanced with AI for drawing and digital creation, including background removal and layers. The Photos app now offers AI-powered features like Background Blur, which automatically finds the background in a photo and blurs it out with a single click.
Microsoft Copilot in Bing and Edge:
Personalized Answers with DALL-E 3
Bing is integrating the latest DALL-E 3 model from OpenAI to deliver more personalized answers based on your search history. Imagine searching for travel destinations and having Bing proactively tell you if your favorite soccer team is playing in that city.
Copilot in Microsoft Shopping
When you’re shopping online using Bing or Edge, Copilot will now assist you in finding exactly what you’re looking for. It will ask additional questions to learn more about your needs and then use that information to provide more tailored recommendations. Plus, Bing promises to offer the best price, claiming that in the last 12 months, shoppers have been offered more than $4 billion in savings on Microsoft Edge.
Bing Chat Enterprise Updates
Since its introduction just two months ago, Bing Chat Enterprise has been a hit. Now, it’s available in the Microsoft Edge mobile app and is also bringing support for multimodal visual search and Image Creator. This makes it easier for you to find information using images and create them, boosting your creativity at work.
Content Credentials for AI-Generated Images
As part of Microsoft’s responsible approach to generative AI, new Content Credentials are being added to Bing. These use cryptographic methods to add an invisible digital watermark to all AI-generated images, including the time and date they were originally created.
Microsoft has made it clear that this is just the beginning. Copilot will continue to evolve, with more capabilities and connections to be added over time. This ensures that as your needs grow and change, Copilot will adapt, making it a future-ready solution.
