Without a doubt, Microsoft’s biggest update to Windows 11 in 2023 was the addition of Copilot (formerly Bing Chat). The generative AI chatbot, which is also being tested by Windows Insider members for Windows 10, is being marketed by Microsoft as more than just a Cortana-like digital assistant. Indeed, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently said that Copilot will be “the entry point into this world of AI on the PC.”
However, it seems like computer makers are coming up with new ideas of how a generative AI feature like Copilot could be used in future Windows PCs. Today, Gizmodo posted an article about viewing a recent demo from Dell that showed how something similar to Copilot could make it easier to change settings on a PC.
The demo included mockups of Windows 11 running with advanced Copilot-like features. Gizmodo said that Dell showed how a Copilot icon could be set up on the Windows 11 taskbar. Clicking on that icon could enable users to either type or speak prompts. These prompts could be used to ask Copilot to bring up a trackball’s brightness controls or see which graphics driver version you have installed, instead of going through a ton of menu and settings options to find them on your PC.
In another Windows 11 mockup demo, Dell showed how Copilot might be able to automatically set up Wi-Fi security settings when you try to log into a public Wi-Fi router. Users could type or speak into Copilot and ask it to have their PC run at the faster performance settings possible. That command is then accomplished by Copilot, again without the user having to make these changes manually.
It’s important to note that Dell’s Windows 11 demo does not mean Microsoft is actively working to expand Copilot in these directions. This is simply a possible look at what Copilot could do in future versions of Windows. However, the fact that Dell went to the trouble of making these Windows 11 Copilot mockups shows that at least one major PC maker has some ideas about where these AI features could be used. Microsoft might want to take some notes as it looks to expand the use of Copilot in 2024.