Build 2023: Windows Copilot for Windows 11 is Coming in June

Since the introduction of the new AI-powered Bing this year, Microsoft has kept announcing new AI-powered “Copilot” experiences for its various cloud services. At its Build developer conference this morning, Microsoft’s Chief Product Officer Panos Panay announced that Windows 11 is in line to receive its own Copilot experience next month.

“Windows is the first PC platform to provide centralized AI assistance for customers,” Panay explained. The Windows Copilot will have its own shortcut in the Windows 11 taskbar, which will open a pop-up window where users can ask questions using natural language. Users will also be able to dock the assistant in a side pane.

If Cortana on Windows 10 was quite limited as an AI assistant, the Windows Copilot promises to “make every user a power user,” Panay said. As a personal assistant, the Windows Copilot will be able to answer complex questions, rewrite or summarize content, and modify Windows settings. Panay also suggested that the new Copilot would make features like copy/paste, Snap Assist, and Snipping Tool easier to use, though details are still scarce.

“The things you love about Windows – copy/paste, Snap Assist, Snipping Tool, personalization – they are all right there for you, along with every other feature on the platform, and they only get better with Windows Copilot,” Panay wrote. “For example, you can not only copy and paste, but also ask Windows Copilot to rewrite, summarize, or explain your content.”

The Windows Copilot will also integrate with Bing Chat and let users access third-party services via ChatGPT plugins. This morning, Microsoft also announced a shared plugin platform with OpenAI, which will make ChatGPT plugins available across Bing, the Microsoft 365 Copilot, and the just-announced Windows Copilot.

“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 also have new ways to reach and innovate for our shared customers,” Panay emphasized. This expanded partnership with OpenAI to create an open standard for plugins does seem to be the right thing to do to get developers on board.

Microsoft will start testing its new Copilot with Windows Insiders next month. The company also announced other Windows 11 updates at its Build conference this morning including a Microsoft Store AI Hub, as well as an enhanced backup and restore experience for Microsoft Store apps.