Microsoft’s Copilot: Enhancing Productivity with Centralized AI Assistance and More Exciting Updates

Microsoft has made a significant commitment to artificial intelligence, and one of its major endeavors in this field is Copilot, described as “centralized AI assistance designed to simplify tasks and enhance productivity.” After a summer preview, Copilot is now receiving a broader release, extending its reach to Windows 11, Microsoft 365, the Edge browser, and Bing.

Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President and Consumer Chief Marketing Officer, explains, “It will function as an app or activate when needed with a simple right-click.” Microsoft’s vision is to continuously expand Copilot’s capabilities and integrations across their most widely used applications, with the goal of creating a seamless experience that spans various aspects of your life.

You can expect to encounter Copilot first in Windows 11, as part of an operating system update scheduled for September 26 (the same day Apple releases macOS Sonoma). Subsequently, Copilot will become available on Bing, Edge, and Microsoft 365 during the fall season.

The forthcoming OS update is slated to introduce more than 150 new features, with a focus on incorporating AI-driven enhancements into apps such as Paint, Photos, and Clipchamp, among others. On Windows 11, Copilot will reside in the taskbar and be accessible through the Win+C keyboard shortcut, replacing the now-defunct Cortana. In the demonstration video, users are shown requesting tasks like “organize my windows” or “play something to help me focus,” which triggers actions like playing a Spotify focus playlist.

Moreover, the taskbar button includes a “Summarize” option that can condense web text into brief summaries. Copilot can also be asked to generate original content, although caution is advised for potential errors and hallucinations.

The integration with Photos allows Copilot to perform tasks such as background blur or background removal. Microsoft also promises improved photo searches, including those stored in OneDrive, and the ability to search for pictures based on location.

Microsoft is also unveiling new features for Bing Chat, including the capability to remember your chat history and assist with online shopping. For instance, if you’ve used Bing to follow your favorite soccer team, it can proactively inform you if the team is playing in your travel destination. Bing can also ask follow-up questions to refine your online product searches and soon allow searches by uploading photos or saved images.

Furthermore, the latest version of OpenAI’s image generator, Dall-E 3, will be integrated into Bing’s Image Creator, and Microsoft Designer will be directly incorporated into Bing.

In a move akin to Google, Microsoft is testing an “invisible digital watermark” for all AI-generated images in Bing, as well as in Paint and Designer, to prevent unauthorized use of artists’ work.

These features will be rolled out “soon” on Microsoft Edge and via bing.com/chat in other web browsers.

Microsoft 365 Copilot will be made available to enterprise customers on November 1, 2023, alongside a new Microsoft 365 Chat assistant. This tool will comprehensively analyze your work data, encompassing emails, meetings, chats, documents, and more, along with web content, to develop a deep understanding of your work, priorities, and organization. Its aim is to assist users in managing complex or monotonous tasks, from drafting strategic documents to booking business trips or catching up on emails. It will be seamlessly integrated into applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.

Additionally, Microsoft teased an integration between Designer and Word, enabling users to quickly transform text-heavy documents with custom graphics. This feature is presently being tested with a select group of Microsoft 365 consumer subscribers and will expand over time.