Beyond debuting new features for Copilot AI PCs and Windows 11's 2024 update, Microsoft is also giving its Copilot AI a makeover on the web, mobile and desktop. That includes a slightly friendlier interface wherever you access it, along with new capabilities like Copilot Voice, which allows you to talk conversationally with the AI assistant. Ultimately, Microsoft is aiming for Copilot to be seen as more than just a party trick for generative AI search and image creation -- it's trying to make it a core part of your daily workflow. That starts with a cleaner and simpler UI that makes Copilot look different than a boring old search engine. You'll also be able to access Copilot from within Whatsapp, which could be useful if you want to avoid Meta's AI assistant.

Microsoft is beginning to roll out its next feature update of Windows 11, the Windows 11 2024 Update, beginning today. But Microsoft obviously isn't done yet, and it's offering a sneak peek at new Copilot experiences which will debut this fall, including Copilot Voice, Copilot Vision, and Copilot Daily, among others. On the surface, the new additions to Copilot sound similar to multimodal ChatGPT (or GPT-4o) that OpenAI launched earlier this year, where ChatGPT can now "see" and an Advanced Voice feature means that you can have conversations with it. But there are some key differences between what Microsoft and OpenAI are offering, and only some of Microsoft's Copilot innovations will be available right away. It's probably safe to say, though, that Copilot Voice will be the most important addition -- and Copilot Vision may not be.

Microsoft deleted the over-eager office assistant Clippy some 17 years ago, but the vision for an friendly and optimistic AI helper has apparently found its way out of the Recycle Bin. The company is overhauling Copilot, the text-based artificial intelligence tool bundled with Windows and other software, with the addition of vision, voice, and the ability to solve more complex problems--along with a more "encouraging" personality. "We really are at this amazing kind of transition point," says Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI. "AI companions now see what we see, hear what we hear, and speak in the same language that we use to communicate with one another." Copilot has so far met with a mixed response, with some users complaining of lag or vagueness in its responses, but Microsoft is betting that the tool could eventually become an integral part of Windows, Office, and beyond. By incorporating OpenAI's AI algorithms into software that is used by hundreds of millions of people, the company is also at the forefront of testing the potential for AI to boost productivity in office work.