Microsoft has announced one of its most significant updates for Copilot since its 2023 launch, rolling out a dozen new features for the AI assistant and the Edge browser. These updates, which are free for all Windows 11 and 10 users, aim to transform the user experience by focusing on collaboration, AI personality, health advice, and deeper browser integration. Jacob Andreou, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of Product & Growth, highlighted four key areas of this new push.
“AI Together”: Collaborative Copilot Sessions
The most significant change is “Groups,” a feature that allows users to invite other people into a single Copilot session. This transforms the AI from a solo assistant into a collaborative tool. Andreou explained that users can “collaborate real-time with friends, with classmates, with family,” likening the experience to a “group Zoom or FaceTime call, but supercharged by generative AI.”
Potential use cases include group brainstorming, co-authoring drafts, or planning a family vacation with real-time input from everyone. Andreou shared a personal anecdote of using Groups with his wife to research a plan for transitioning their kittens to adult cat food. To protect privacy, he noted that once another person is added to a chat, Copilot “stops using memory… because we want to make sure… your personal details stay private.”
A New Face and a “Personality-Forward” AI
Microsoft is giving Copilot more personality, starting with a new visual character named “Mico” (a combination of “Microsoft” and “Copilot”). Described as a “warm, expressive, customizable visual appearance,” Mico’s expressions will react to the user’s prompts. Andreou also hinted at a “little Easter egg” for frequent users that pays homage to past Microsoft digital characters, a likely reference to Clippy.
Beyond visuals, Microsoft is launching “Real Talk,” its first “personality-forward” model, as an option for users. This model is a direct counter to concerns about AI chatbots being “overly synchcophantic.” Andreou described Real Talk as being more witty, adding its own perspective, and being “more challenging.” He stated, “this is a model that actually might really push back and might actually… spark some deeper conversations.” Copilot’s memory function is also being upgraded to remember personal details from conversations, such as a family member’s birthday, to make interactions feel “a lot more natural.”
Grounded Health Advice
Noting that 40% of users ask Copilot health-related questions, Microsoft is updating the AI to ensure all health responses are grounded in “clinical sources,” such as Harvard Health. Copilot will also go a step further by connecting users with relevant, nearby doctors and, where possible, identifying providers within their insurance network. Andreou emphasized that the AI is not a replacement for professional care, stating, “As soon as we think it is appropriate, we will redirect you to find clinicians that can help you.” However, recommending in-network providers would require users to share their insurance details with the AI.
Deeper Integration with the Edge Browser
Copilot’s integration with the Edge browser is being finalized with the full release of “Copilot Mode.” A key feature of this is “Journeys,” which analyzes your browsing history to “help you pick up where you left off” and proactively suggest next steps. Andreou provided an example of using Journeys to research job candidates, noting Copilot “will often go in the background and try to pull some more information for me.”
This update also includes a redesigned Copilot homepage featuring recent apps, files, and conversations. Andreou suggested this new hub could “become the starting point for computing on your Windows computer,” signaling a move toward a more centralized, AI-driven Windows experience.
Models and Free Availability
While Andreou confirmed that Copilot still uses a “collection of OpenAI models,” he was not specific about which ones are used, stating Microsoft is “constantly evaluating all of the available options” to “use the best model for the job.” Microsoft later clarified that OpenAI remains its partner for “frontier models.”
All twelve features are available today and are notably free. Andreou stressed this point, saying, “There is no feature of the twelve that is blocked behind a subscription.” Users do not even need a Microsoft account to access them, as Google and Apple accounts are also supported.
