Microsoft Adding More AI Tools to Windows 11

Windows 11 will soon have an AI tool that automatically switches user settings to improve usability. There will also be an update to the existing "Click to Do" tools.

The features will initially be available on Copilot+ PCs. To clarify, Copilot is Microsoft's name for a series of AI powered tools, available on most Windows computers. Meanwhile Copilot+ is the name of a specific hardware specification that manufacturers can use in branding. It requires an extremely fast processor dedicated to AI operations.

Microsoft has already added several Windows features that only work on Copilot+ machines. These include the impressive automatic screen resolution switching and live audio translation, the less-impressive photo editing tools already available in numerous third-party applications, and the controversial Windows Recall feature which takes regular screenshots to make searching for past activity easier.

User Agent Takes Action

Unlike the aforementioned options, the new settings feature is scheduled to roll out to all Windows 11 computers later on. It's a "user agent" which means it doesn't just provide information but can also take action on behalf of the user.

The idea is to reduce the need to hunt around settings menus to achieve a particular outcome. Users will be able to type or speak a plain language question about how to make a particular change such as changing the mouse pointer size or the speed at which it moves round the screen.

The computer will then either respond with specific instructions on what to do in the settings menu, or (as an optional feature) automatically change the settings. (Source: tomshardware.com)

Click To Do Gets 'More Useful'

Another change, coming first to the Windows Insider test program, is an expansion of the feature in Click to Do. That's an existing Windows 11 feature that can be switched on through the Start menu, by pressing the Windows key and Q together, or by holding down the Windows key and clicking the mouse.

The main principle of Click to Do is to make it easier to take "contextual" to a particular image of piece of text. Examples include clicking on an email and automatically opening the relevant screen to schedule a meeting in Teams, or clicking on a table shown on screen and automatically copy all the text into an Excel document. (Source: windows.com)

What's Your Opinion?

Were you aware of "Click to Do"? Do you have a Copilot+ PC? Are these genuinely useful features or change for the sake of change?