Microsoft AI-Powered Assistant Copilot Will Be Accessible Through Windows Taskbar
On Tuesday, Microsoft announced that it is building an AI chat interface directly into the Windows operating system. Some of the features users can expect are music suggestions, document summarization, tech support, and answering questions similar to their search engine Bing.
This is yet another major step for the company in terms of AI technology and is in with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella‘s comment, “We are bringing the Copilot to the biggest canvas of all, Windows,” stated during Microsoft Build Developer Conference.
According to their Blog post, users can expect to see a preview version of Windows Copilot in June. But that’s not all. The company also announced the integration of Bing Chat plug-ins into a user’s Windows interface. This means that many of the features that have become popular with Bing users will be available directly on Windows.
Panos Panay, chief product officer for Windows and devices at Microsoft, commented on the plugins, “With Bing and ChatGPT plugins in Windows Copilot, people will not only have access to augmented AI capabilities and experiences, but you as developers will have new ways to reach and innovate for our shared customers.”
The way this will work is that a new icon will show up on a user’s taskbar. By clicking on it, a sidebar window will prompt where you can type requests to the AI. From there, you can begin asking the AI to do a number of things to make your Windows experience more pleasant.
Even something as simple as requesting a Dark Mode and starting a focus session will be easy requests for the AI. But that’s not all. As mentioned above, one of the more interesting features is the document summarization. Users will be able to drag and drop documents into the sidebar and Copilot will provide a summarization.
Another interesting feature is Windows Copilot’s ability to use apps on mobile devices. This could open the world of generative AI off the cloud and directly into a user’s personal device. Of course, most of the computing is still done on the cloud, so an internet connection is required.
The goal with Copilot is simple according to Panos Panay, “Invoking Windows Copilot is familiar and easy — the button is front and center on your taskbar — simple to find and use.”
Panay, went further to explain, “Once open, the Windows Copilot sidebar stays consistent across your apps, programs and windows, always available to act as your personal assistant. It makes every user a power user, helping you take action, customize your settings and seamlessly connect across your favorite apps.”
For now, it seems that Microsoft is committed to the development and integration of AI into its product offerings. If you’re interested in getting your Microsoft AI journey started, then you might be interested in the Azure Machine Learning Essentials Series. ODSC’s partnership with Microsoft to make machine learning education accessible.
Originally posted on OpenDataScience.com
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