Headlines
Microsoft launches new AI upgrades to Windows 11, boosting Copilot
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on October 16, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on October 16, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Microsoft introduces AI upgrades to Windows 11's Copilot, enhancing automation and connectivity. New features include voice activation and Copilot Actions mode.
(Reuters) -Microsoft on Thursday rolled out a series of artificial intelligence upgrades to Windows 11 that would make its Copilot AI assistant more appealing to users by making it easier to automate tasks and connect with services across devices.
Users can now use the wake word "Hey Copilot" to activate the AI assistant and execute voice commands in a new opt-in feature on any Windows 11 PC, Microsoft said.
The company is also expanding Copilot Vision - which can analyze content on users' screens and answer related questions - to all markets where Copilot is offered.
Microsoft said it would also launch a feature for Windows Insiders that would allow users to engage with Vision through text, and not just with voice.
The company has been racing to boost adoption and usage of Copilot, to better compete with tech giants Google and Meta that have pushed their own AI assistants through features in devices, applications and browsers.
The Microsoft update also includes an experimental 'Copilot Actions' mode that enables its AI assistant to perform real-world tasks for users — such as booking restaurant reservations or ordering groceries — from the desktop.
The tool expands on a similar capability first announced for the web browser in May.
Microsoft said the agents will start with limited permissions, and would only obtain access to resources that a user explicitly provides.
The company also launched its 'Gaming Copilot' embedded Xbox Ally consoles on Thursday, which allows players to engage with the AI assistant for real-time tips, recommendations and support.
"We think we're on the cusp of the next evolution, which is where AI happens, not just in that chatbot, but gets naturally integrated into the hundreds of millions of experiences that people use every day," said Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's consumer chief marketing officer.
(Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese and Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru, and Jeffrey Dastin in San Francisco; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines programmed to think and learn. AI can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and language translation.
A voice assistant is a software application that uses voice recognition, natural language processing, and speech synthesis to provide a service through a particular interface. Examples include Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa, and Microsoft's Cortana.
Task automation is the process of using technology to perform tasks with minimal human intervention. It can improve efficiency and accuracy in various applications, including business processes and personal productivity.
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