Windows 11’s Latest Update Focuses on AI

You can now fire up Copilot right on the desktop, use AI to find and edit photos, and more.

Microsoft began rolling out a huge Windows 11 update this week, and a glance is all you need to tell it’s chock-full of AI. Not only has Microsoft used the refresh to bring Copilot, its AI-powered Bing Chat tool, to the desktop, but it’s also introduced a handful of new AI features that promise to make everyday applications easier to use.

The update, codenamed Windows 11 23H2, became available Tuesday in preview form. This means select users can install the update by visiting Settings, clicking on “Windows Update,” and then switching on “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available.” Windows 11 23H2 will open to all users in November, so those who can’t see the update must wait until then.

The biggest feature of Windows 11 23H2 is desktop access to Copilot. Though Copilot has technically been available since the beginning of this year, it’s been tethered to Edge, where it hid inside a side panel, and then Bing. Now, Windows 11 users can open Copilot on the desktop, where they can ask it questions, deliver commands, generate text summaries, and more. The tool is considered a refreshing smart assistant upgrade after Microsoft’s sunsetting of the Cortana app.  

The Snipping Tool's new text extraction and redaction features. Credit: Microsoft

Windows 11 23H2 revamps the Snipping Tool, which can now intelligently extract and redact text from documents, screenshots, videos, and more. After snipping their screens, users can select the Snipping Tool’s “Text Actions” mode, which opens a handful of copy, select, and redaction options. File Explorer received a facelift and can now use AI to recommend relevant files to users, speeding up their search. In Photos, users can leverage AI to blur backgrounds, create slideshows, and search for images based on their contents. 

MS Paint is getting an AI boost, from its background removal tool (released earlier this month) and transparency features to its forthcoming AI image generator, “Paint Cocreator.” Windows 11 users who are a part of the Windows Insider program can join a Cocreator waitlist, the members of which will receive access to the text-to-image tool in the coming weeks. 

Among Windows 11 23H2’s non-AI updates are native RGB Dynamic Lighting controls, a new volume mixer, and passkey support. A new Instant Games feature lets you boot up and play “casual games” within the Microsoft Store instead of downloading and installing them.

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