Microsoft is making Copilot+ experiences available to more systems, and that’s great news for accessibility
When talking about AI in general -- including Copilot -- the focus tends to be on the impressive time-saving capabilities and futuristic features. What is often overlooked is the potential for artificial intelligence to improve accessibility.
But this is exactly what Microsoft is doing with the features it has for Copilot+ PCs. And now the company has made many of the Copilot+ experiences available to a wider range of processors, so systems with AMD Ryzen AI 300 series, Intel Core Ultra 200V and Snapdragon X Series chips can feel the benefits. There are huge advances in accessibility to be explored.
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It is hard to overstate the importance of accessibility tools, and this is an idea that Microsoft has embraced wholeheartedly from the very early days of Windows. But with the spread of AI and the development of this technology, more things are now possible than simply offering different color schemes, larger fonts, and description of on-screen activity.
One of the biggest new features is Live Captions. Microsoft says:
Now available on Copilot+ PCs powered by AMD and Intel, Live Captions offers real-time translations in English for audio and video content during virtual meetings, podcasts or video playback. This feature, which previously launched on Snapdragon X Series Copilot+ PCs, is also rolling out in Simplified Chinese, with support for AMD- and Intel-powered devices coming soon.
Acknowledging the existence of, and catering for, the large numbers of people who do not, or are not able to, interact with their computer using traditional peripherals such as mice and keyboards, Microsoft has unleashed Voice Access. The company explains that this is made available by installing the March 2025 Windows non-security preview update and says:
With this update, users of Voice Access on Snapdragon X Series Copilot+ PCs will be able to communicate with their PCs using more descriptive and flexible language, with support for AMD- and Intel-powered devices coming later this year. This can reduce the challenges faced when learning complex steps, commands and syntax that voice access previously required. It will be the first Voice Access update to take advantage of the NPU capabilities on Copilot+ PCs.
Other non-accessibility related features include Cocreator in Paint and Restyle Image and Image Creator in Photos to help with creativity.
More information is available here.