In a nutshell: Does the prospect of more AI features coming to Windows 11, including an agent that can adjust user settings at your request, fill you with excitement? Possibly not, but Microsoft is introducing them anyway. Copilot+ PCs will get the updates first, but the AI flood is also coming to traditional x86 systems.
The AI agents will initially arrive via the Windows Insider program for those using Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft writes that finding and changing settings on a PC are among the most common frustrations among users, so the feature allows you to use natural language to describe what you want to do or are looking for.
Some examples of this functionality include typing "how to control my PC by voice" or "my mouse pointer is too small," at which point the agent will recommend what steps to take to address the issue.
The agent will also ask users if they want the AI to make the changes on their behalf via an Apply button. Note that there is a disclaimer stating "Recommendations are AI-generated and may be incorrect."
Microsoft adds that the AI features are also coming to Windows Insiders using AMD- and Intel-powered devices soon after they debut for Insiders with Snapdragon-powered PCs.
It's unlikely that the tech-savvy will find much use for the AI agents, but the feature could admittedly be useful for those who still get lost trying to find certain settings or don't know what they're looking for. However, as the disclaimer warns, AI doesn't always get things right.
Away from agents, Microsoft is introducing other AI features to Windows 11. One of these is Click to Do, which offers the likes of copying text from an image, summarizing text, and quickly removing objects or the background from an image. More actions are rolling out in Click to Do, including the option to create a bulleted list from selected text.
There's also an interesting-sounding relight feature coming to the Photos app. It allows you to position up to three light sources in an image, set their color, and move a focus point that all lights automatically follow. There's also built-in presets with ready-made lighting styles for quick edits.
Elsewhere, the Snipping Tool is being updated so it captures what's on a screen more accurately and tightly, reducing the need for post-grab cropping. It also gets two new capture tools: one for extracting text directly from images and screenshots, and a color picker for capturing exact color values.
AI is even coming to File Explorer, allowing users to "interact more deeply with your files." Right-clicking on photos, videos, or other file types in Explorer will open up actions to perform on the files, such as summarizing content or editing.
Finally, there's Copilot Vision, which allows users to share any browser or app window with Copilot. This lets the tool read the screen and interact with the content. "You'll be able to use Copilot to search, change settings, organize files and collaborate on projects without switching between files or apps," Microsoft writes.
Microsoft is introducing AI agents that can change your Windows settings
