Copilot is Microsoft's built-in AI assistant for Windows 11. Until now, some of its best features, like talking to it with your voice or letting it see what's on your screen, only worked on fancy new computers. Now, anyone with Windows 11 can use them.
Now you can just say 'Hey Copilot' and it wakes up, no keyboard needed. Copilot Vision can look at everything on your screen and talk you through what to do next. It can even point out exactly where to click, or read through a whole Word or PowerPoint file for you, so you don't have to scroll around. Soon, you'll be able to chat with it about what it sees, just by typing.
People use Copilot twice as much when they can just talk to it, compared to typing everything out. No surprise there.
The real problem with AI has always been the prompts. You have to spell out exactly what you want, and that can be awkward or just plain hard. But if the AI can already see your screen, you don't have to explain. And if you can just talk, you don't have to type. Suddenly, the barriers start to disappear.
This is a game-changer for three kinds of people. First, anyone who finds typing hard or impossible. Second, people who get stuck trying to figure out what to say to the AI. And third, anyone who's busy—maybe you're cooking and following a recipe, or your hands are full taking notes in a meeting, or you're trying to edit photos and need a little help.
Microsoft likes to show off Vision reading through a PowerPoint for you or giving tips on your photos. But those are just their demos. The real story here is about making things accessible.
If typing hurts, or is just too slow, or you can't do it at all, being able to talk to your computer and have it see your screen isn't just a nice extra. It's the difference between being able to use AI or being locked out. And now, thanks to a simple update, millions of people with regular old Windows 11 PCs get these tools—no need to buy a new machine.
