In its latest update, Microsoft has enhanced its consumer Copilot, an AI assistant, by giving it a friendlier voice and enabling it to analyze web pages while users browse.
Mustafa Suleyman, the CEO of Microsoft AI, told Reuters that the company now has “an entire army” of creative directors—including psychologists, novelists, and comedians—working on refining Copilot’s tone and style to make it stand out.
In one demonstration of the upgraded Copilot, a user inquired about a suitable housewarming gift from a grocery store for a friend who doesn’t drink wine. After some dialogue, Copilot responded with: “Italian (olive) oils are the hot stuff right now. Tuscan’s my go-to. Super peppery.”
This feature rollout, which begins Tuesday, is one of the first initiatives that Suleyman has overseen since Microsoft established his division in March to focus on consumer products and technology research.
Traditionally associated with business software, Microsoft has faced significant challenges in the consumer market, as evidenced by its Bing search engine, which remains overshadowed by Google.
Suleyman aims to make a larger impact with Copilot, which debuted last year amidst a competitive landscape of AI chatbots, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.
The revamped voice capabilities of Copilot allow it to function more like an active listener, incorporating verbal feedback such as “cool” and “huh,” Suleyman noted.
The technology behind the product consists of Microsoft AI (MAI) models and a technology suite from partner OpenAI, according to Suleyman.
He also mentioned that consumers who pay $20 monthly for Copilot Pro can begin testing a new feature called “Think Deeper,” which helps users weigh their options, such as deciding between moving to one city or another.
Another test feature for paying subscribers, called Copilot Vision, allows users to engage with the AI about what they see in the Microsoft Edge browser. Users must opt in for this feature, and Microsoft assures that the content viewed will not be saved or used for AI training.
These updates reflect the potential for AI to serve as a constant companion, a vision that Suleyman previously promoted as CEO of Inflection AI, a company from which Microsoft acquired top talent in a high-profile deal this year.
Suleyman mentioned that in the future, Copilot will be able to learn context from users’ Word documents, Windows desktops, and gaming consoles, provided they give permission.
When asked about Bill Gates’ perspective on the company’s AI initiatives, Suleyman said Gates is enthusiastic about the progress being made.
