Microsoft continues to foist Copilot on Windows 11 users by adding it to the context menu
Loved, loathed, feared, viewed with suspicion -- all valid reactions to the existence of Microsoft's Copilot. The AI-powered assistant has proved hard to avoid thanks to the company's crazed promotion of its latest baby, and now things are being ratcheted up a notch.
Microsoft latest attempt to get people to use the Copilot app is to add a new shortcut to the context menu. Right click on a file in Windows 11 and you'll be presented with an Ask Copilot link so you can subject your documents to artificial intelligence.
Microsoft now has AI agents that can change Windows 11 settings -- should we be delighted or terrified?
Artificial intelligence is now all but unavoidable, and Microsoft is taking every opportunity to crowbar more AI features into Windows 11. Copilot+ PCs are a big part of the company’s AI vision and now powerful new AI agents have been unveiled.
Described as being part of a “new generation of Windows experiences”, Microsoft has revealed new agents that use on-device AI to interpret natural language input to help a user find and change system settings. What could possibly go wrong?
Microsoft unveils new Surface Laptop and Surface Pro Windows 11 devices
Microsoft is back with two new Surface devices for 2025 -- the 13-inch Surface Laptop and the 12-inch Surface Pro. Both are “Copilot+ PCs,” which essentially means they’re built around Microsoft’s AI. These new portable computers promise better performance, better battery life, and yes, you guessed it -- more Copilot.
The new 13-inch Surface Laptop is a sleek-looking device. Microsoft says it’s thinner and lighter than any Surface Laptop before it. The aluminum chassis comes in Ocean, Violet, and Platinum. There’s also a matching Surface Arc Mouse if you’re really committed to the aesthetic.
Microsoft is updating the Copilot app with an introductory tutorial for newbies
Powerful new tools are only useful if people know what they can do and how to get them to do those things. For what feels like an eternity, Microsoft has been pushing Copilot as the greatest addition to Windows since... well, since Cortana it probably thinks.
For tech heads who have kept up with the latest news and developments, it’s easy to know what Copilot is, what it is about, and what it can do. But Microsoft realizes that not every Windows user is a tech head and is adding a guided tour to the app.
Microsoft has finally realized that not everyone cares about Copilot
Despite making claims to the contrary, Microsoft is not really thought of as being a company that takes much notice of user opinion. All too often it seems that incredibly unpopular options, features and changes are introduced with little regard for what users actually want.
But, to buck the trend, Microsoft has apparently been listening to feedback from people who are unhappy about the encroachment of Copilot into... well, pretty much everything, really. The decision to include a physical Copilot key on keyboards has been one such unpopular move, and the reaction from Windows 11 users has forced Microsoft’s hand.
Microsoft makes a browser-based, AI-generated version of Quake II to promote Copilot -- play it now!
Continually seeking new ways to make Copilot seem appealing, Microsoft has turned to retro gaming as a lure. The company has released a browser-based version of Quake II to serve as a Copilot Gaming Experiences demonstration of AI capabilities.
Microsoft has married its own Research lab’s MuseWorld and Human Action Model (WHAM) to show some of the different powers of generative AI. The company says that “by generating gameplay in real time, the underlying Muse shows how classic games like Quake II can be reimagined through modern AI techniques”. But what will matter to most people is that it is available to try out now, for free.
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.
Huge Microsoft Photos update adds amazing new web search with OCR-extracted text feature and makes AI options easier to access
Microsoft Photos is something of an unsung hero of the Windows app family. It is an astonishingly useful and powerful tool that Microsoft keeps quietly updating on an irregular basis. The latest update has just landed, and it’s a biggie.
We’ve already seen the addition of OCR capabilities to Microsoft Photos so in-image text can be easily copied; this has now been extended to include the option to search the web with text that has been extracted. But this is far from being the only change in the latest update.
Microsoft is resurrecting a handy keyboard shortcut in Windows
There are several keyboard shortcuts that are seared into the minds of computer users, and they are turned to unthinkingly to speed up common tasks. But there are also keyboard shortcuts whose function has changed over time, with Win + C being a prime example.
Over the years, this particular shortcut has served as a way of accessing Cortana (remember that one?), launching Teams, and -- most recently -- for triggering Copilot. Win + C was killed off with Microsoft’s push of Copilot, and the arrival of the dedicated Copilot key on some new keyboards. Now there is some good news for people who either don’t use Microsoft’s AI-powered digital assistant, or would like to put the shortcut to better use.
Microsoft brings Copilot back from the dead after accidentally nuking it
Copilot remains a divisive addition to Windows, so there was a mixture of jubilation and despair when Microsoft released updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11 that had the unintended side effect of deleting the AI-powered digital assistant.
At the time, Microsoft acknowledged the accidental deletion and unpinning of the app and suggested Copilot fans manually download and reinstall the app while it worked on a proper fix. Now the company says it has things sorted out -- to the delight or chagrin of those affected.
Hate Copilot? Microsoft just released a Windows update that erroneously deletes the AI assistant
The words 'known issues' in relation to updates for Windows are enough to strike fear into even the most hardened computer users. Microsoft is certainly no stranger to releasing updates that have problems -- or, if you want to be kind, unintended consequences. The latest SNAFU, however, is likely to please a lot of people.
With the release of the KB5053598 update for Windows 11 a few days ago, Microsoft has acknowledged that for some people it kills off Copilot. While the company refers to this as the app being "unintentionally uninstalled", this is a mistake that could have many fans.
Microsoft increases its focus on artificial intelligence by creating a new CoreAI team
Microsoft continues to bet big on AI and the company has created a new artificial intelligence engineering division called CoreAI. The new development-focused unit is headed by Jay Parikh -- once Meta's VP and global head of engineering -- and the intention is to speed up AI infrastructure and software development at Microsoft.
CEO Satya Nadella describes 2025 as being "about model-forward applications that reshape all application categories". Nadella clearly wants to power forward in what he says is the "next innings of this AI platform shift".
With AI agents, Microsoft aims to change the way you work
We're constantly told that AI will make our lives easier by taking on the tedious everyday tasks that we don't really like doing. Who wouldn't want to have an AI agent do some of your office donkey work?
That's what Microsoft is offering with new out-of-the-box, purpose-built agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot that will take on unique roles, working alongside or on behalf of a team or organization to handle simple, mundane tasks as well as complex, multi-step business processes.
'One of the most secure experiences we have ever built' -- Microsoft overhauls controversial Recall feature with enhanced privacy and security controls
It’s fair to say Microsoft’s Recall feature for Copilot+ PCs proved to be incredibly divisive when the company announced it earlier this year. The tool is designed to retrieve and summarize relevant information from your past interactions, documents, and apps, providing quick context and insights.
Recall works by taking “snapshots” of your screen at regular intervals and storing them either locally on your device or synced through Microsoft 365. Users can search these snapshots using natural language to locate specific content, such as images or text they've viewed on their PC. While some users praise the feature's convenience, others have raised concerns about privacy and data security due to the extensive integration required for Recall to function effectively. Companies concerned with safeguarding sensitive data are understandably the most wary.
Microsoft brings AI-powered Copilot features to Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more
At its Ignite 2024 conference, Microsoft today introduced a raft of new features for Copilot, its AI assistant. These include AI agents in Microsoft 365 that can take on unique roles, and Copilot Actions that let users delegate repetitive tasks.
For many people, however, the most exciting updates will likely be the new AI tools for creating custom content and managing tasks more efficiently in Microsoft 365 which are being introduced to Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote.
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