Microsoft is preparing a Windows 11 update that brings its Copilot assistant into the operating system and adds AI features across several familiar apps. The company says the update, available on September 26, will include more than 150 new features.
Copilot is designed to work across Microsoft products
Microsoft describes Copilot as an AI companion that will be available in Windows 11, Microsoft 365, and the Edge and Bing browsers. The announcement also names Github among the products where Copilot will be integrated.
Microsoft says the assistant can combine web context, user data and real-time activity on a PC to provide help. It also says the system will prioritize privacy and security. The article does not detail how those protections will work, so users will need more information to understand the practical boundaries of that promise.
Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President & Consumer Chief Marketing Officer, said Microsoft plans to add capabilities and connections to Copilot across its most-used applications over time. The stated aim is a single experience that works across different parts of a user's life.
Paint and other Windows apps gain new tools
Some of the update's AI changes are aimed at apps people already use for simple creative and productivity tasks. Paint is set to gain AI support for drawing and digital creation, background removal and layers. Microsoft is also previewing Cocreator, which brings generative AI into Paint.
Photos will receive AI enhancements as part of the wider update. The Snipping tool is also getting a practical new capability: users can extract selected text from an image and paste it into another application. That could make information captured in a screenshot easier to reuse.
Notepad and Outlook are among the other applications receiving updates. The announcement presents these changes as part of a larger package, rather than limiting the rollout to a single assistant or one high-profile app.
Bing and Edge expand their AI features
Microsoft says Bing and Edge will gain AI enhancements for personalized search answers and Microsoft Shopping. Bing Image Creator is also set to get DALL-E 3, while Bing Chat Enterprise will add mobile support, multimodal visual search and Image Creator.
Together, these features extend the update beyond the Windows desktop. Search, shopping, image creation and work tools are all included in Microsoft's broader Copilot direction, though the specific features and availability differ across products.
Microsoft 365 targets workplace tasks
Microsoft 365 Chat will debut as part of Microsoft 365 Copilot. The company frames Microsoft 365 Copilot as a way to improve work performance through better management of email, meetings and chats.
Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft 365 Chat are scheduled to become generally available to enterprise customers on November 1, 2023. That release is distinct from the Windows 11 update arriving September 26, which introduces the initial Copilot rollout and the consumer-facing app changes.
The announcement describes a wide set of AI additions, from generating and editing images to searching and organizing workplace information. The scale of the release means Copilot is being positioned as a connecting layer across Microsoft's products, while individual features appear inside the apps where users may need them.