Windows 11 is getting a flurry of powerful new AI features designed exclusively for Copilot+ PCs — here’s what’s coming
Click To Do, AI in Search, Super Resolution in Photos, and a heap load of more AI capabilities are on the way.
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What you need to know
It’s been less than six months since Copilot+ PCs first hit the market, and Microsoft is already gearing up to ship a new wave of AI features designed exclusively for theseNPU-equipped devices. Unveiled today, Windows 11 is getting four powerful new AI features that will only run onCopilot+ PCs, and here’s a rundown of all the new features:
Click To Dois a new AI overlay that’s available at any time by hold down the Windows key and clicking with your mouse. An overlay will then appear and offer contextual actions based on what’s currently on-screen. Similar to"Circle To Search"on Android, when this AI overlay is active you can click on any object or text on screen and use AI to conduct a visual search, summarize content, rewrite messages, and complete common actions with the click of a button.
This is actually more powerful than Circle To Search on Android, because it extends beyond just searching the web. For example, Click To Do can recognize if you’ve selected an image, and offer contextual actions such as blurring the background or removing objects within that image directly within the overlay’s context menu. This is a true example of AI being used for productivity purposes.
In addition to Click To Do, Microsoft has also announced that it’s bringingAI to Windows Searchin an effort to help fix Windows' not-so-great search capabilities. On Copilot+ PCs, search on Windows will soon be descriptive, meaning you can just describe the document or image you’re looking for and have Windows find it. No longer do you need to remember specific titles for files on your computer.
This is launching first in the File Explorer, where document and images searches are most common, but Microsoft promises it will roll out to the main Windows Search pane and Windows Settings in the coming months too. This is a huge new AI feature that, if done correctly, might fix Windows 11’s poor searching system that struggles to find what you’re looking for.
Microsoft is also bringing more generative capabilities to Paint and Photos in the form of super resolution and generative fill and erase functions. Photos is getting super resolution, which enables the ability to upscale images using the NPU on Copilot+ PCs directly within the Photos app. Microsoft says Photos will be able to upscale images up to 8x, and will complete the upscale in a matter of seconds.
In Paint, you’ll be able to fill or erase parts of an image using generative AI. The app now has an adjustable brush which gives more precision over particular areas you want to edit with AI, whether that be to remove objects or add objects using descriptive language. This is very similar to Magic Eraser on Android, now built directly into the Windows Paint app and runs locally.
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Microsoft says Copilot+ PCs will gain access to these new features over the holiday period. The company has alsoannounced a brand-new Copilotthat’s launching today with new capabilities and experiences, designed to be more human and intuitive.
Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch onTwitterandThreads
