Microsoft Copilot, Copilot+ PC, Windows 11 AI Updates Start Rolling Out

New Copilot+ PC and Windows 11 features will come out this month for Windows Insider Program (WIP) members.

Microsoft has started rolling out new features and previews for its Copilot artificial intelligence assistant offerings and for Windows 11 and Copilot+ AI PC users, including a way to interact with Copilot by voice, a preview of an AI capability that understands text and images on web pages and a PC experience in preview that gives quick action suggestions based on images and text on screen.

Some of the Copilot upgrades will become available through the Redmond, Wash.-based vendor’s new Copilot Labs program for limited numbers of Copilot Pro users to test new features in a preview environment. Two features coming to Labs for a limited number of users for testing “next week” are Copilot Vision and Think Deeper.

New Copilot+ PC and Windows 11 features will come out this month for Windows Insider Program (WIP) members, with a phased rollout to certain devices and markets starting Nov. 1, according to Microsoft.

Microsoft Copilot News

A newer version of Microsoft Recall than the one that stirred controversy earlier this year is among the features that will become available for WIP members this month. WIP members will see Recall on Arm for Qualcomm-powered Copilot+ PCs this month.

Kevin Beaumont, a cybersecurity professional who criticized the initial version of Recall, called the planned changes “much more robust” in a post to social media website Mastodon on Friday.

“Some of the things are boomerangs - eg they said it wasn’t uninstallable weeks ago, but it is now,” Beaumont said. “Also they said it wasn’t developed under Secure Future Initiative a few months ago.. but now say it was originally under SFI. The proof is in the pudding obviously so hands on tests will be required. They’ve locked it to Copilot+ PC systems now, which will limit research.”

Users with these AI PCs powered by Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) will see Recall in WIP in November. More specific availability dates are expected “soon,” according to Microsoft.

The news comes soon after a Microsoft virtual event detailing a new wave of Copilot updates centered on a new Copilot Pages canvas offering, more integrations with existing productivity applications and capabilities around AI agents.

Microsoft Copilot Updates

Microsoft bills the new Copilot Voice interaction method as a way to brainstorm, ask a quick question and talk to Copilot. Users have four voice options.

Available now is Voice in English in the U.S., U.K., New Zealand, Canada and Australia, according to Microsoft. More regions and languages are coming “soon” for Voice.

Copilot Daily is a summary of news and weather read aloud. Microsoft said to expect more sources, personalization and controls in Daily over time. Daily starts rolling out today in the U.S. and U.K., with more countries and an option for reminders coming “soon.”

The feature will only pull from authorized content sources, with current content partners including publishers Reuters, Hearst Magazines (whose brands include Cosmopolitan, Elle, Esquire, Seventeen, Popular Mechanics) and Axel Springer (owner of Politico and Business Insider).

Two features coming to the Copilot Labs testing program “next week” are Copilot Vision and Think Deeper. Copilot Vision–only coming to select testers in the U.S.–will allow AI to see everything on a web page and talk to the user about it in real time.

Vision is integrated into the Microsoft Edge browser and understands the text and images on the page a user is viewing, according to Microsoft. Vision can answer questions about the content, suggest next steps and help with tasks without disrupting workflow.

Vision won’t store or use content it engages with for training while in preview, according to Microsoft. Data is permanently discarded once a session ends.

Think Deeper will only come to select Copilot Pro users in the U.S., U.K., New Zealand, Canada and Australia. This capability allows Copilot to reason through more complex problems, from higher-level math to the cost of a home project. This feature takes more time before a response to provide detailed answers with steps.

Rolling out for Microsoft’s Bing search engine starting today is generative search for dynamically generated, curated answers. Users can search “Bing generative search” for query examples. Microsoft said the feature is considered still under development.

Also starting today are updated Copilot applications for iOS and Android, the Copilot web experience, a Copilot experience for WhatsApp and the Copilot Windows app, according to Microsoft.

Copilot Discover is meant for users not sure where to start with the AI tool. Discover can present cards based on interactions with other Microsoft services with permission from the user. The cards become more personalized over time based on chat history.

And Microsoft Edge browser users can access Copilot by typing “@copilot” in the address bar. In Edge, Copilot can answer questions, summarize page content, translate text, rewrite sentences and perform other tasks.

Copilot+ PCs, Windows 11 Enhancements

Turning to the new features for Copilot+ PCs and Windows 11 users, Click to Do is Microsoft’s name for an experience in preview that places an interactive overlay on top of PC screens to help simplify user workflow. With the overlay, quick action suggestions will appear over images and text, connecting users to tools and actions to accomplish a task.

For example, users might receive a suggestion for a visual search with Microsoft Bing, a suggestion to erase an object in a photo, an offer to remove a background with Microsoft Paint, an offer to send an email with a recognized email address, and offer to open a website from a recognized web address or an idea for a way to rewrite or summarize a text.

Click to Do is context-aware and accessible from any Copilot+ PC screen with the Windows key and clicking the mouse to find the feature in Snipping Tool or Print Screen, according to Microsoft. The vendor also promises more actions coming for Click to Do “in the coming months.”

Windows 11 24H2 update started rolling out to Windows 11 users today. The update includes a feature to extend battery life and reduce energy use even when devices are plugged in.

The update also adds improved hearing aid support with Bluetooth LE Audio, Wi-Fi 7 compatibility and high dynamic range (HDR) background support, according to Microsoft. The vendor will use a phased rollout starting in “the coming weeks” with eligible devices running Windows 11 version 22H2 and 23H2 if the user is opted in to experience new enhancement.

In File Explorer is an improved search capability where users can describe what they are looking for instead of remembering file names, settings locations and writing with perfect spelling, according to Microsoft. “In the coming months,” improved search will expand to Windows Search and Settings.

The improved search works when users aren’t connected to the internet as well due to Copilot+ PCs’ 40 trillion-plus operations per second (TOPS) neural processing units (NPUs), according to the vendor.

The NPUs will allow for super resolution in photos for upscaling up to 4K in seconds for free, according to Microsoft. The super resolution capability also promises to change older, lower-quality images into high-quality ones without blurring or pixelation with a slider.

Microsoft Paint has gained generative fill and generative erase features for editing and altering images. The underlying diffusion-based model has received an upgrade for better results faster with built-in moderation, according to the vendor.

Native Windows on Arm applications “on the horizon” include Google Drive, Arc Browser, Sketchbook Pro, Fantastical, Vegas Pro and NordVPN, according to Microsoft.