Advertisement|Remove ads.
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) announced a new update for Windows 11 on Thursday, turning every personal computer running the operating system into an AI PC.
Explaining what it means by an AI PC, Microsoft stated that it will allow users to use its Copilot feature to perform AI-powered searches and tasks, via multiple modes such as typing, voice commands, and vision-based contextual searches, depending on the contents on the screen.
Microsoft stated that with this Windows 11 update, users will be able to invoke Copilot using the phrase, “Hey, Copilot,” which would initiate a conversation with the company’s AI assistant. Users can then state their query, and Copilot will perform the search or the task, depending on the command.
“We’re seeing that when people use voice, they engage with Copilot twice as much as when they use text. This ease of use leads to deeper engagement within Copilot,” said Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s Executive Vice President and Consumer Chief Marketing Officer.
Microsoft is also baking in the Copilot AI assistant into the taskbar on Windows 11, replacing the old search option. However, users will have the choice to opt in to this feature for now. When enabled, it will replace the Windows search pane with a new Copilot-powered one, allowing users to chat with the assistant as well as search for local files and apps.
Microsoft shares were up more than 0.3% in Thursday’s opening trade. Retail sentiment on Stocktwits around the company trended in the ‘bearish’ territory.
The firm also announced a new AI agent named “Manus” that can perform various tasks on the computer. For instance, Microsoft says users can perform complex tasks like creating a website without coding. This can be done by selecting documents in the local folder and clicking “create website with Manus,” and Manus will build the website.
The company said that while these features are coming soon to Windows 11 users, it will test them first via the Windows Insider program and gather feedback before rolling them out widely.
MSFT stock is up 22% year-to-date and 24% over the past 12 months.
For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.