Windows 11 Gets an AI Overhaul – Voice, Vision & Agentic Actions Explained

This Week in IT

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In this episode, we cover Microsoft’s major update to Copilot for Windows, including a refreshed user interface, new voice activation features, and the rollout of Copilot Vision for enhanced productivity. Discover how Copilot can help with tasks in Excel, explore upcoming integrations like Connectors for Google Drive and Gmail, and learn about new AI-powered tools in File Explorer.

We also discuss the final free security update for Windows 10 and important Patch Tuesday fixes.

Links and resources

Episode overview

The top stories in this week’s episode:

Microsoft Copilot for Windows Update:
- Major UI refresh and new features, including voice activation (“Hey Copilot”) and Copilot Vision for screen sharing and task guidance.
- Preview features available for Windows Insiders; general availability for some features.
Copilot Vision Tested:
- Successfully used to guide Excel tasks with Power Query, showing promise for basic tasks.
Copilot Actions (Preview):
- New actions like document summarization and photo sorting, running under a restricted system account for security.
Connectors Coming to Copilot:
- Integration with external services (Google Drive, Gmail, etc.) for expanded data access.
Natural Language Windows Settings:
- Ability to change Windows settings using natural language commands (e.g., “make my mouse pointer bigger”).
Other Integrations Announced:
- Manus (local docs to website) and Filmora (video editing) integrations, mainly for home users.
Security and Patch Tuesday:
- October Patch Tuesday is the last free security update for Windows 10; users must upgrade or pay for extended support.
- Urgent security fixes for Windows 11, including Secure Boot and remote code execution vulnerabilities.
AI in File Explorer:
- New AI tools in context menus for visual search and file summarization.
Windows Share Improvements:
- Ability to pin commonly shared apps in Windows Share dialog.
Administrator Protection:
- Enhanced security features rolling out, though not visible to all users yet.
Critique of Microsoft 365 Copilot and Paint:
- Mixed results with image creation and background removal; third-party tools like Adobe’s background remover perform better.

Russell Smith

Editorial Director at Petri IT Knowledgebase. Russell has more than 20 years' experience working in IT. From small business to large government IT infrastructure projects. Russell started his writing career for Windows IT Pro magazine in the early 2000s. Since then, Russell has contributed to a variety of publications, including Petri, CDW's list of publications, and various industry blogs including Netwrix, BeyondTrust, and others. In addition to more than 1000 articles Russell has authored, he has also written a book on Windows security and co-authored another for Microsoft's MOAC series. Russell has also authored several courses for Pluralsight.