Windows 11 gets Microsoft Copilot plugins and more AI upgrades

Following the release of Copilot Pro in January, Microsoft will begin rolling out a slew of upgrades today to make its AI assistant more useful in Windows 11. The biggest addition is plug-in support, something that until now only worked with Copilot on the web. For example, you could connect Copilot to OpenTable so you can make a reservation from its chat window. If you don’t have groceries, you can start an order using the Instacart plugin. Microsoft says plugins from Kayak, Klarna, and Shopify will also arrive in the next month. The goal, of course, is to keep you locked in the Copilot window for as long as possible.

Microsoft doesn’t even want you to leave Copilot to access system settings. With this new update, you’ll be able to toggle battery saver mode on and off or view your system’s hardware profile from the AI ​​chat view. You can also ask Copilot to turn on Windows 11’s Live Captions, Narrator, or Screen Magnifier. It can even display a list of available Wi-Fi networks to connect to. Core users may end up liking the ability to tap into Windows 11 features without navigating through the Settings app, so improved Copilot integration could prove to be a usability win for Microsoft.

Windows 11 apps that use AI-powered features like Photos and Clipchamp also get several AI improvements. Photos now has a Generative Erase feature that can help you remove unwanted objects and elements from a photo, while Clipchamp will start previewing a Silence Removal AI tool to cut out awkward video moments.

Microsoft says it will begin rolling out these Copilot and AI upgrades starting today to users running Windows 11 with the 22H2 (2022) and 23H2 (2023) updates later in the year. If you’re eager to try out the new features, make sure you enable the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” option. The company expects to have most of the features available when it releases the non-security March 2024 optional preview update.