On Tuesday, Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 10, the operating system it launched a decade ago.
To encourage users to upgrade, the company is rolling out new artificial intelligence features in Windows 11, the successor to Windows 10, currently being tested in preview programs.
Participants in both the Windows Insider Program and the Copilot Labs group, which experiments with AI capabilities, will gain early access to an enhanced Copilot assistant app within Windows 11. This upgraded assistant can interact with desktop and web applications to perform tasks—such as resizing photos—using files stored locally.
For example, a user could ask Copilot to compile all available Brian Eno songs into a Spotify playlist and then play it, explained Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s chief of consumer marketing, during a press briefing.
Tech companies including Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI have developed AI models known as computer-use agents. These agents follow user commands to perform multi-step actions involving typing and clicking.
Microsoft has already integrated this technology for corporate users who create AI agents and introduced consumers with premium subscriptions to a variant called Copilot Actions. Now, the company plans to bring this to Windows 11 users.
Copilot Actions will be disabled by default and, if enabled, will run within a contained desktop environment. Microsoft emphasized that users can observe the assistant’s actions step-by-step and intervene at any time. They can also work on other tasks while Copilot runs in the background.
“As with any new technology, users may encounter mistakes or challenges, especially with complex interfaces. That’s why real-world testing is essential to improve and refine the experience,”Mehdi wrote in a company blog post.
This advancement could help Microsoft attract users currently loyal to Apple’s Mac computers or Chromebooks running Google’s Chrome OS. In the second quarter, Microsoft generated $4.3 billion in revenue from Windows and devices, a modest 2.5% increase year-over-year.
Windows 11, launched in 2021, introduced a centered Start button and app icons on the taskbar, departing from the traditional left alignment. According to web analytics firm Statcounter, Windows 11 surpassed Windows 10 in popularity for the first time in July. As of September, Microsoft held 72% of the operating system market share.
Microsoft is proceeding cautiously with the deployment of Copilot Actions. During the preview phase, the feature will only access common folders like Desktop, Documents, Downloads, and Pictures. Users must explicitly approve access to other areas of their computer.
Members of the Windows Insider Program will be the first to test a new feature in Windows 11’s File Explorer powered by Singaporean startup Manus. Users can right-click a file and select “Create website with Manus” to generate a website.
Additionally, Windows Insiders will be able to ask Copilot to analyze on-screen content through chat messages—a capability that previously required voice commands with Copilot Vision.
Finally, Microsoft plans to introduce a revamped Copilot shortcut next to the Start button. This new widget will offer one-click access to features like Copilot Vision and voice-activated AI conversations. Alternatively, users can summon the assistant by saying, “Hey Copilot.”
