Microsoft today detailed its next wave of AI-driven updates for Windows 11 and its specialized Copilot+ PC hardware, continuing a rapid rollout of features designed to integrate artificial intelligence more thoroughly into user workflows and make experiences more intuitive.
The updates span OS-level interactions, core application enhancements, and accessibility improvements, many leveraging the Neural Processing Units (NPUs) – specialized processors designed to accelerate machine learning tasks locally – found in Copilot+ devices. These features are set to appear first for Windows Insiders, often debuting on the initial wave of Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus powered Copilot+ PCs before potentially expanding to upcoming Intel and AMD models.
AI Enhances Core Windows Apps
Several familiar Windows applications are receiving AI-powered upgrades, particularly on Copilot+ PCs. The Photos app introduces “Relight,” a feature using AI to simulate adjustable 3D light sources within a picture, reportedly by creating a depth map similar to technology seen in earlier photo editing software.
Users can position up to three lights, control their color and focus, or use presets. This begins rolling out first to Insiders with Snapdragon X Series Copilot+ PCs, with AMD and Intel support planned later this year.
Microsoft Paint receives two new AI functions slated for Insider release later this month. A “Sticker Generator” allows users to create custom digital stickers from text prompts (requiring a Microsoft account and internet connection for cloud safety checks). Additionally, “Object Select” employs AI to identify and isolate elements on the canvas for easier editing or use with other AI tools like generative fill.
Snipping Tool also gets several updates, available to Insiders starting today. “Perfect Screenshot” analyzes on-screen content to automatically frame it more accurately, reducing manual cropping. The tool also gains a “Text Extractor” for copying text directly from screenshots and a “Color Picker” for capturing specific color values.
Microsoft also mentioned an improved underlying diffusion model – a type of generative AI for image creation – now powers features like Paint’s Cocreator and Photos’ Image Creator, available today.
OS-Level AI Integration Expands
Beyond individual apps, Microsoft is weaving AI more directly into the Windows 11 interface itself. A notable addition is an AI agent coming to the Settings app.
This allows users to use natural language queries, like asking “my mouse pointer is too small,” to find relevant system settings. The agent can suggest configuration steps or, with explicit user permission, make the changes directly. Microsoft Corporate Vice President Charles Lamanna previously stated about similar GUI agents, “If a person can use the app, the agent can too.” This capability will debut for Insiders on Snapdragon Copilot+ PCs and will initially support only English input.
The AI-powered Windows Search, which entered preview for Copilot+ PC Insiders in January using local NPUs for natural language file content analysis (known as Semantic Indexing), is also being improved. Later this month, Insiders will be able to use it to find Windows settings and search for or install Microsoft Store apps.
This improved search, alongside Recall and Click to Do, officially exited preview and began rolling out more broadly with the Windows 11 May 2025 update previews around May 13th. The Photos app is also set to gain this enhanced search functionality later this month for Insiders. This aligns with earlier statements from Microsoft executives like Pavan Davuluri at the 2024 Microsoft Ignite conference, who mentioned bringing Microsoft 365 data closer to the user interface.
The Windows 11 Start menu is also scheduled for an update for Insiders in the coming months, introducing an “all apps category view” sorted by usage frequency and integrating the “Phone Companion” panel. This panel provides quick access to phone status and allows quick access to messages, calls, photos, and wireless file transfers (initially Android only, iOS planned later). It first appeared in Insider builds back in June 2024 and started rolling out more widely to Windows 11 23H2 users in late April 2025. Using it requires the Phone Link app on the PC and the Link to Windows app on the phone.
File Explorer will gain “AI Actions,” enabling users to right-click files for quick AI-driven tasks like summarizing content or initiating image edits without opening the full application first. Notepad is also getting AI features (“Write” from prompt, “Summarize”) alongside basic formatting and Markdown support, though these specific Notepad AI functions will require Microsoft 365 subscription credits.
This differs from the February 2025 decision to make the advanced “Think Deeper” reasoning model (later upgraded to OpenAI’s o3-mini-high) and voice features free for all Copilot users.
Copilot App, Accessibility, and Ecosystem Updates
The dedicated Copilot on Windows app continues to evolve. Copilot Vision, which lets the AI see and interact with content in any application window, began rolling out to US Insiders in early April and is nearing general availability, starting in the US.
Microsoft emphasizes this feature is opt-in and does not log images or voice audio, though deletable voice transcriptions are saved. Windows Insiders can also use “Press to Talk” by long-pressing the Copilot key. An opt-in “Hey, Copilot!” voice activation feature is also planned for Insider testing soon.
Accessibility sees improvements with Narrator gaining “Rich Image Descriptions” on Copilot+ PCs. Available now for Snapdragon Insiders (coming soon to AMD/Intel), this feature provides detailed descriptions of images, charts, and UI elements for blind and low-vision users. This follows the expansion of Voice Access flexible commands to Snapdragon Copilot+ PCs in March.
Microsoft also highlighted third-party applications optimized for the NPUs in Copilot+ PCs, such as Moises Live by Music.AI (claiming a 35x speed increase for audio separation on Snapdragon X NPUs vs. CPU), Gigapixel AI by Topaz Labs, Capcut, DJay Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Camo, Cephable, and LiquidText.
The Microsoft Store is also being updated with an AI Hub section, personalized recommendations, direct Copilot integration for asking questions about app pages, and new badges to identify AI-enhanced or Copilot+ exclusive applications.
Context and Availability
This software push coincides with the launch of Microsoft’s new flagship Copilot+ PCs, the Surface Pro (12-inch) and Surface Laptop (13-inch), available from May 20th, 2025.
These initial models rely on Qualcomm’s NPUs for many on-device AI tasks. While Microsoft began expanding some AI features to preview builds on upcoming Intel and AMD Copilot+ hardware earlier this spring, several newly announced capabilities remain initially focused on Snapdragon platforms.
This hardware dependency, combined with the privacy concerns that surrounded the Recall feature’s initial implementation (despite subsequent security enhancements), could affect user adoption.
These updates follow a series of AI announcements, including the M365 Copilot Wave 2 release in late April and the April 5th reveal of features like Copilot Memory and Actions. This push comes amidst reports of pressure on Microsoft’s AI division due to slower user growth compared to competitors.
Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman told Reuters in April that his team prioritizes “SSR, the rate of successful sessions,” which he asserted had “gone up dramatically.” Microsoft likely views these integrated AI features as a key selling point for new Copilot+ PCs and as an incentive for users to upgrade from Windows 10 before its support ends in October 2025, while also preparing for anticipated AI announcements from competitors like Apple later this year.
