Microsoft is giving Copilot more control over Windows and your files — SkimNews
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- Microsoft unveiled a Copilot upgrade at its Windows and Surface event giving the AI access to local files on PCs and the ability to take actions across the OS
- The upgrade is part of a concept Microsoft calls "Hybrid Intelligence," which relies on a mix of local and cloud AI models to accomplish tasks efficiently
- Jacob Andreou, Microsoft's EVP of Copilot, demonstrated the "Autopilot" agent by having it find tax documents across folders, rename them, zip them into a folder, and draft an email with the zip file attached to his accountant
- Copilot's Hybrid Intelligence features will roll out over the "next couple months," according to Andreou
- Microsoft also previewed a new Windows search experience letting users take quick actions from the search bar like toggling dark mode, adjusting mic volume with an in-line slider, or sending a text
- The new search experience will arrive "starting this fall" on Windows 11 PCs, per Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft's Windows and Surface boss
Why it matters: The upgrade moves Microsoft from AI as a chatbot toward AI as an autonomous file agent, with Andreou's tax demo chaining four actions (folder search, rename, zip, draft email) in a single request. With rollout promised within two months, Copilot is now competing with agentic AI rivals on a dimension — direct OS-level task execution — that matters more to daily PC use than any chat feature.
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