Microsoft on Thursday announced a new wave of artificial intelligence upgrades for Windows 11 aimed at making its Copilot assistant more deeply integrated and useful for everyday tasks.
The update introduces a wake word feature, allowing users to activate Copilot by saying “Hey Copilot” to issue voice commands on any Windows 11 PC. The company is also expanding Copilot Vision — a tool that can analyze on-screen content and answer questions about it — to all markets where Copilot is available. Windows Insiders will soon be able to interact with Vision through text as well as voice.
The new features are part of Microsoft’s broader push to increase Copilot adoption amid competition from Google and Meta, which are embedding their own AI assistants into devices and applications.
Microsoft also unveiled an experimental “Copilot Actions” mode that enables the assistant to carry out real-world tasks, such as booking restaurant reservations or ordering groceries, directly from the desktop. The feature builds on similar capabilities previously introduced in its Edge browser. The company emphasized that Copilot agents will operate with limited permissions and require explicit user consent for access to resources.
In addition, Microsoft launched “Gaming Copilot” for Xbox Ally consoles, allowing players to get real-time tips, recommendations, and support through the AI assistant.
“We think we’re on the cusp of the next evolution, which is where AI happens, not just in that chatbot, but gets naturally integrated into the hundreds of millions of experiences that people use every day,” said Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s consumer chief marketing officer.
