To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Microsoft has added a host of new features to its AI assistant Copilot, making it more like competitors like ChatGPT or Claude. Copilot now has the ability to remember information, personalize, perform web actions, create podcasts, analyze camera and screen images, conduct deep research, and more.
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Copilot can now “remember” a user’s preferences, interests, and data such as their birthday, and use that information to provide answers, tips, or proactive suggestions. Microsoft said users will be able to choose what information Copilot remembers, or opt out of the feature entirely.
The updates highlight Microsoft’s commitment to making Copilot more personal. The company said it’s in the early stages of implementing this concept, but “soon” users will be able to give Copilot a personalized look and even bring back the Clippy virtual assistant. Users will be able to customize the AI assistant to suit their style and preferences, according to Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman.
In addition to personalization support, Copilot’s functionality has expanded. A new Actions feature gives it the ability to perform tasks using a web browser, similar to OpenAI’s Operator AI agent or Amazon’s recently announced Nova Act. Microsoft envisions it being used to book entertainment tickets, make restaurant reservations, and make purchases, especially when combined with a new shopping feature that lets Copilot search for deals and sales.
Copilot Vision, a feature for AI viewing of images from your screen or camera, is now available for Windows computers and iOS and Android devices. Meanwhile, the Deep Research AI tool allows Copilot to analyze large numbers of documents or online sources for complex projects, and its research capabilities are integrated with Bing to provide an answer using AI inside the search engine.