While Copilot AI’s usefulness among users remains debatable, Microsoft finds yet another home for the chatbot on Windows 11
Copilot AI might be incorporated into the File Explorer’s context menu on Windows 11.
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What you need to know
Microsoft is fully betting on AI, and it’s becoming more apparent that the company wants its users to leverage the technology across its products and services. Windows 11 is undoubtedly one of the leading beneficiaries of the AI wave, as is the case withthe latest Windows 11 feature drop, which ships with more AI features for Copilot and much-needed changes to the Widgets board.
According to a report byWindows Latest, Microsoft Copilot could soon make its way to the File Explorer app on Windows 11. This doesn’t seem to be a new development either. In January, longtime Microsoft watcher and Windows enthusiastPhantomOfEarth on X(formerly Twitter) also indicated that the tech giant was potentially planning on integrating its AI-powered assistant into the File Explorer after spotting a new velocity feature dubbed CopilotFEContextMenu in the Windows 11 Canary and Dev builds.
Here’s how the Copilot entry in File Explorer context menus will appear. It will show some actions you can take for files using Copilot, like summarizing and describing text files. https://t.co/15KXTKcaBn pic.twitter.com/N6HhIB8pWkMarch 17, 2024
While not yet official, the new Copilot option in the File Explorer’s context menu will help users generate quick summaries of documents. As shared by Windows Latest, the feature doesn’t work as expected. This is usually the case when Microsoft is developing and testing a new feature, which explains why they are often behind code in Windows 11 builds.
When you click on a file in the File Explorer app on Windows 11 and select the Copilot option in the context menu, you’ll be presented with the option to either Send to Copilot or Summarize. The former option lets you send the entire file to the chatbot, where you can ask questions about the file, whereas the latter generates a quick summary of the file’s contents. However, the option to summarize documents isn’t available right now.
Will Copilot AI be the saving grace for Windows 11’s flawed design?
Even if you’re not impressed by theAI hypeand don’t find Microsoft Copilot particularly useful, Microsoft is inventing new and “convenient” locations to place it. How many times have you mistakenly launched the service while trying to check your notifications on your Windows 11 PC? I’d say a million times, but who’s counting?
We recentlyran a poll on Windows Central, asking our audience whether or not they find Copilot AI useful. Interestingly,half of our polled readers indicated they don’t use the service entirely. Microsoft is also testing a new way to launch the chatbot on Windows 11 — hovering their mouse cursor over the Copilot icon on the taskbar willlaunch the service like an AI genie.
Microsoft recentlyredesigned the legacy File Explorer app, adding a modern touch and appeal to the platform, including a modern interface for folders and the sidebar and changes to the address and search bar. While these changes are welcome and much-needed, third-party software likethe Files appor evenStardock’s Start11, which acts asthe best alternative for the Start menu on Windows 11, is quickly gaining popularity among users.
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The tech giant has seemingly thrown a deaf ear to the complaints and issues pointed out by concerned users regardingthe Start menuand File Explorer’s flawed design on Windows 11. It’ll be interesting to see how users will welcome the integration of Copilot AI into the File Explorer app.
Kevin Okemwa is a seasoned tech journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya with lots of experience covering the latest trends and developments in the industry at Windows Central. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail, he has written for leading publications such as OnMSFT, MakeUseOf, and Windows Report, providing insightful analysis and breaking news on everything revolving around the Microsoft ecosystem. You’ll also catch him occasionally contributing at iMore about Apple and AI. While AFK and not busy following the ever-emerging trends in tech, you can find him exploring the world or listening to music.
