Microsoft is testing small but impactful changes to draw your attention to Copilot AI on the Windows 11 desktop

Date:
Sat, 06 Apr 2024 15:50:59 +0000

Description:
Whats being done to highlight Copilots powers is good, but Microsoft still needs to tread carefully here.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

Microsoft has made a relatively minor but pretty useful tweak for Copilot in testing, as part of the ongoing effort to bring the AI assistant into play more often with Windows 11 .

This is part of the new Windows 11 preview build 22635 deployed in the Beta channel, and the change to Copilot is rolling out gradually, so not all testers in that channel will have it just yet.

The idea is a new experience for Copilot that aims to boost your productivity in Windows 11. How exactly? Well, when you copy a text or image file, the AIs icon in the taskbar has an animation thats triggered to let you know the assistant can help with that file.

If you hover the mouse over the Copilot icon, youll then get some new options
for example with an image file, youll be presented with choices including creating an image like the current one, or getting Copilot to analyze the picture. (Image credit: Microsoft)

Build 22635 doesnt do an awful lot more than these Copilot tweaks, but there is another change here for Windows Share. Microsoft is making it so you can use this functionality to share directly to a specific Microsoft Teams
channel or group chat. (This is an ability that had been in testing previously, but was temporarily removed due to bugs and its now reinstated).

As ever check out Microsofts blog post for the build to find out the full details and known issues in this preview release. Analysis: Treading a fine line

The fresh tweaks for Copilot are simple but quick ways of interacting with files using the AI. Microsoft is putting these various abilities at the fingertips of the user, and highlighting that the AI can help with said animation on the icon. Clearly, the hope is that having brought Copilot to
the attention of the person sat at the Windows 11 PC , this will result in more usage of the AI.

With this change being in the Beta testing channel the step before Release Preview, where things are finalized for the stable builds of Windows 11 for everyday users well likely see this introduced with the 24H2 update later this year.

As to the overall concept of having Copilot pointed out actively, if
Microsoft is planning to do more along these lines, itll have to tread a thin line between helping the user, and perhaps getting on the annoying side with too many little calls for attention.

Theres a fine balance with some aspects of OS development such as, for example, when recommendations or suggestions in menus become more like
adverts and sometimes Microsoft has strayed beyond the acceptable
boundaries, at least in our humble opinion . Were hopeful this wont be the case here, and theres certainly nothing wrong with the current Copilot rejigging in testing. You might also like... Watch out: soon some older PCs will lose Windows 11 support Windows 11 is getting a voice-powered ability many users have been longing for Dont make these 5 big mistakes when using Windows 11



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/microsoft-is-testing-small-but-imp actful-changes-to-draw-your-attention-to-copilot-ai-on-the-windows-11-desktop


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)