Do you have Windows 11? Get ready for a revolution. AI now sees the screen, controls applications, and listens to every word

Microsoft has just announced a series of updates designed to turn every Windows 11 PC into an “AI PC”. It sounds like a marketing phrase, but this time the company seems to be serious. Copilot will get voice control, the ability to see your screen, and even the option to control applications for you. What’s more – this isn’t just for owners of expensive Copilot+ PCs with NPU chips. All Windows 11 users will get these features.

It’s no coincidence that Microsoft is releasing these new features right now. Windows 10 support ended on October 14 (although you can extend it for free for a year thanks to the EU), and millions of people are preparing to upgrade. Microsoft wants their first experience with Windows 11 to be full of AI features. Whether people will actually want to use them, however, is another question.

“Hey, Copilot” – Microsoft wants you to talk to your computer

The main new feature is called Copilot Voice and works via the wake phrase “Hey, Copilot”. Just say it aloud and Copilot will launch, listen, and respond by voice. Microsoft claims that people use Copilot twice as often when speaking than when typing. That’s a nice number, but we need to remember one thing: all of this has been here before.

Ten years ago, Microsoft promoted Cortana in exactly the same way. Back then, it also claimed that voice control would change the way we use computers. It didn’t work. Cortana ended up as a dead feature that no one used, and Microsoft eventually discontinued it. Now they’re trying again, just with a different name and better AI technology.

Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s marketing chief, says: “Voice will become the third input mechanism alongside the mouse and keyboard.” The problem is that most people simply don’t want to talk to their computer. It’s awkward in the office, it’s awkward at home when you’re not alone, and it’s impractical when you need silence.

Copilot Vision sees your screen – and that’s a bit scary

The second big new feature is Copilot Vision – a function that allows AI to see what’s on your screen. You don’t have to describe anything; just ask “how do I do that?” and Copilot will directly show you where to click, what to do, where to find the right function. It works in applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, as well as in games or when editing photos.

In practice, Copilot sees the entire context – not just what’s visible on the screen, but also other slides in a presentation or pages in a document that are not currently displayed. This sounds useful, especially for people learning new applications or needing quick help.

But here’s the problem: you have to allow AI to monitor your screen. Microsoft says it’s an opt-in feature, so it only activates when you want it to. But after the fiasco with the Recall feature, which secretly screenshotted your entire computer, many people will be cautious. Recall was such a disaster that Microsoft had to postpone and redesign the feature due to security risks.

Copilot Vision is now launching globally in all countries where Copilot works, including here in the Czech Republic. And unlike Recall, it’s not automatic – you have to enable the feature manually.

Copilot Actions: AI agents who do things for you (and make mistakes)

Now we come to the most interesting (and riskiest) part – Copilot Actions. These are AI agents that can perform actions on your computer instead of you. You can tell them “edit all photos in this folder” or “find information from this PDF” and they will do it.

Microsoft is testing this in a limited form through the Copilot Labs and Windows Insiders programs. The reason is simple: AI makes mistakes. Navjot Virk, Vice President of Windows Experiences, admitted it aloud: “Initially, you might see the agent making mistakes or having trouble with complex applications.”

Copilot Actions run in a separate “safe environment” on the desktop and show you all the steps it takes. You can stop it at any time, take control, or simply watch it work in the background. However, the idea that an AI agent is controlling my computer and “might make mistakes” is not entirely reassuring.

Additionally, Microsoft is adding a feature called Copilot Connectors, which links Copilot with your accounts – OneDrive, Outlook, Gmail, Google Drive, calendars. Then you can say “find my dentist appointment” or “where is my school project” and Copilot will find it. The problem? You have to give it access to everything.

The search bar in the taskbar? That’s now an AI chatbot

Perhaps the biggest change concerns the taskbar in Windows 11. Microsoft plans to replace the classic search bar with the Copilot AI chatbot. This will be an opt-in feature, so you’ll have to enable it manually, but once you do, traditional Windows Search will disappear and be replaced by the Copilot UI.

Copilot in the taskbar will do two things: search for local files and applications (via the classic Windows Search API) and also function as an AI chat. You can ask it anything, launch Copilot Vision or Voice, all from one place. Microsoft describes it as a “dynamic hub that helps you do more with less effort.”

In practice, this means that instead of searching for a file or application, you’ll be chatting with AI. For some, it might be faster to say “open Word,” for others, it’s quicker to click an icon. Microsoft is betting that people will prefer the former method.

This change will first come to Windows Insiders in the coming weeks, with regular users likely seeing it as late as 2026.

Gaming Copilot: AI advises on how to play games

Microsoft also introduced Gaming Copilot – an AI assistant specifically for gaming. For now, it only works on ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X devices, which are handheld consoles developed with ASUS. Just long-press the library button to launch Copilot, which will give you advice, tips, or recommendations – all without having to leave the game.

In the demo, Copilot advised the player on which missions to complete next in the open world. It sounds like a useful feature for people who get lost in complex games. But it also feels a bit like cheating – if AI tells you what to do, where’s the fun?

Will this actually work?

Microsoft has big plans. It wants to “rewrite the entire operating system around AI” and turn Windows into a platform you talk to and that sees you. The problem is that Windows users are conservative. The transition from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is already problematic in itself, and now Microsoft also wants people to change the way they use their computer.

Voice control failed with Cortana. Recall was a security nightmare. And now Microsoft is trying the same thing again, just with better technology and different names. Maybe this time it will succeed. Or maybe it will find that most people simply don’t want to talk to their computer and don’t want AI to see their screen.

One thing is certain: AI in Windows 11 is no longer an optional add-on, but the core of the entire system. Microsoft has bet everything on Copilot. We’ll see if people use it – or if it ends up like another Cortana.

Would you like to talk to your computer instead of using a mouse and keyboard?

Source: Windows Blog, The Verge