Microsoft Marks 50 Years with Significant Copilot Updates and Enhanced Features
Celebrating 50 Years of Microsoft
Microsoft recently marked its 50th anniversary, and the company has been celebrating in style. They revived the nostalgic Windows 95 logo, rolled out a special version of Solitaire, and even Bill Gates shared the source code of the original operating system, Altair Basic. The festivities also highlighted Microsoft’s AI tool, Copilot, which has become central to their recent announcements.
Excitement Around Copilot Features
In the days leading up to the anniversary, Microsoft showcased Copilot’s new features through a livestream event at their headquarters in Redmond, Washington. This event included entertaining moments, such as Copilot interviewing three former Microsoft CEOs, resulting in some light-hearted banter. To keep everything organized, we’ve compiled significant announcements about Microsoft Copilot from the livestream and other sources.
If you’re curious to see the livestream, it’s available on Microsoft Copilot’s YouTube channel.
Copilot App Becomes a Native Application
One of the most significant updates is the transition of the Microsoft Copilot app from a web-based platform to a native application integrated directly into Windows. This update initially rolled out to Windows Insiders and became available to all Windows users starting April 3. Users have reported a significant boost in performance, claiming that it operates faster than other applications, such as ChatGPT. You can download the app from the Microsoft Store, provided your system is updated.
Introducing Copilot Search
In a bid to compete with Google, Microsoft is launching Copilot Search in collaboration with Bing. This feature allows users to ask Copilot questions, and it then searches the internet to provide results. We tested it with simple queries and found that it efficiently scanned various sources before delivering answers. For example, when inquiring about the best Android phone to buy, it provided results like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Google Pixel 9 Pro, and OnePlus 13.
Enhancements for AMD and Intel Devices
Microsoft is dedicated to improving its AI capabilities across different hardware platforms. The company announced several new features, including Live Captions, Cocreator, Restyle Image, and Image Creator, especially for Windows devices powered by AMD, Intel, or Snapdragon. These advancements, part of the Copilot + PC initiative, will roll out over the next year and aim to enhance users’ experiences across devices.
New Copilot Features for Developers
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella humorously mentioned that it’s an exciting time when CEOs can also code. He unveiled a new Copilot agent mode for users of Visual Studio Code (VS Code). This mode assists developers in writing and verifying their code, making it easier to create and customize applications with AI support. This feature has already been available to Insiders and will soon be accessible to all users of VS Code.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Introduces Researcher and Analyst
In the livestream, Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft’s head of AI, introduced two new tools for Microsoft 365 Copilot: Researcher and Analyst. Researcher is designed to assist users with extensive and complex research tasks, and it can pull data from external sources like Salesforce and Confluence. The Analyst tool processes existing data to generate insights and forecasts, employing OpenAI’s reasoning model to assist users in understanding their data better.
Future Updates for Copilot
There are plans to give Copilot a more personal touch by introducing avatars. During the livestream, Suleyman showcased Copilot as a character capable of conversing with users. The presentation featured various designs, including classic figures like Clippy and Spyro the Dragon. While no specific release date for this feature was announced, Microsoft remains open-minded about how users may engage with Copilot in the future.
Notable Trends
Microsoft’s focus on enhancing AI capabilities reflects a broader trend in technology, where companies are increasingly integrating AI into applications and platforms. As Microsoft continues to innovate, these developments are set to enhance productivity and streamline tasks for users across different platforms.
