Windows Copilot AI assistant brings ChatGPT straight to your desktop

Windows Copilot has been revealed as a ChatGPT-like AI assistant that lives on your desktop, the new tool will begin rolling out to users from June.

Announced at Microsoft Build 2023, Windows Copilot is a generative AI assistant that will live straight on your Windows 11 taskbar. The tool will be fully integrated into Windows 11’s various software features.

Envisioned as a personal assistant, Copilot allows you to customize settings, apps, and more through a handy dialogue box, not too dissimilar to what we’ve seen with Bing AI. It can also summarize, rewrite, or clarifies the content from apps viewed by the user. While it does not replace the search bar on the Windows 11 taskbar, it has its distinct Copilot button next to it. Move over Cortana, there’s a new AI in town.

Pitched as a personal assistant, Copilot aims to take the reins and act as a way to make adjustments to Windows, more regularly reserved for power users, more accessible to a wider audience. Considering its technological pedigree, we’re expecting big things from Copilot once it actually launches in earnest.

It’s built on the same foundational technology as ChatGPT and Bing AI. You can even use plugins designed for the two platforms with Copilot, too. This means that you can get even more functionality from the upcoming feature. Microsoft has also stated that any updates to ChatGPT and Bing will also be included in Copilot, extending the relationship between OpenAI and Microsoft.

As the AI wars rage on, Microsoft and OpenAI are looking like some of the leaders in the industry, while companies like Google try to catch up.

When is Microsoft Copilot coming out?

Microsoft announced that Copilot will be beginning public distribution in June. After that, you should expect a wider rollout for more Windows 11 users.

Is Cortana going to be phased out?

A lot of Copilot’s functionality reminds us of Cortana, which never really worked that well in Windows 11. However, depending on the reception that Copilot has with users, we might see Cortana being entirely phased out in place of this new, powerful AI solution.

Microsoft has not announced anything official pertaining to the future of Cortana at all, but it’s looking pretty grim for the older, “dumber” AI assistant, which was previously baked into Windows 10 and 11.