Buzz
Since the emergence and rapid advancement of AI, particularly with Microsoft introducing Copilot and unveiling Windows 11 23H2, AI features have seamlessly integrated into various applications, enhancing the functionality of default tools like Paint, Snipping Tool, and Photos, making them more useful for users.
The AI features on Windows 11 can be seen in the summary table above. The usefulness of these features depends on individual usage needs. Let me give you a quick overview of these features.AI Companion by Microsoft
One of the most prominent features introduced by Microsoft with Windows 11 23H2 is the AI Companion by Microsoft, which serves as the universal assistant for Windows 11 users, replacing the former Cortana. Microsoft's AI Companion utilizes OpenAI's GPT-4, offering '3 distinct personalities' and providing different responses depending on the user's selected 'personality'.
Ask Copilot to enable dark mode.
Current capabilities with Copilot include querying, requesting image sketches, and all that you can do with GPT-4 on ChatGPT. Specifically on Windows 11, you can request to turn on/off dark mode, toggle Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, open any available app on Windows 11...Paint Cocreator, Background Removal
I've shared with you about Paint Cocreator, a tool that enhances Paint's usability for users. Paint has been around on Windows for a long time, but gradually with the development of other creative applications, Paint has been used less and less. However, with Cocreator or background removal, Paint has made a comeback.
In the Photos app, there's also a feature to blur the background, replace it with a solid color,... you can review in this article.Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
OCR is a new feature in Windows 11's Snipping Tool. When capturing screenshots containing both images and text, this tool can now recognize and allow you to copy the text appearing in those images, automatically detecting with high accuracy.
Not only does it recognize text, it also allows you to edit certain things like email addresses and phone numbers. In my opinion, OCR isn't exactly a new AI feature on Windows 11 since it's been around for quite a while, not just on Windows, but Microsoft labels it as AI 😁.Windows Studio Effects
This feature is specifically for computers with NPU, meaning those using Intel Core Ultra platforms, AMD Ryzen Mobile 7000 series or higher, or Windows ARM computers using Qualcomm platforms.Acer Swift Go 14Copilot in Edge
This feature has been around for a while, predating the release of Windows 11 23H2. Copilot in Edge operates exclusively within the Edge browser and is essentially the same as Copilot in Windows 11, with some additional system tweaking features that Microsoft has incorporated.
One of the advantages of Copilot on Edge is that, in addition to regular queries, you can ask AI to quickly write an email, passages of text, lists of ideas, or personal blog posts, tailored to various tones and lengths.Smart App Control
A notable feature on Windows 11, according to Microsoft's description, it will utilize AI to predict which apps are safe to download and run on Windows 11.
Essentially, this is a way for Windows to be more proactive in controlling which apps run on your PC, ensuring only trusted apps can be installed and used. However, the true effectiveness remains to be seen as there's no specific indication, even when downloading .exe files from the internet for installation, the old Windows warning system still pops up.
Furthermore, if you accidentally disable this Smart App Control, the only way to turn it back on is by reinstalling Windows 11.
Above are the AI features that you can use right now without waiting, with stronger hardware platforms equipped. Hopefully, in 2024, we'll have even more AI features leveraging NPU, capable of doing more tasks, especially Copilot. I think it will be the focal point of the Windows experience in the future. Let's see what Microsoft will do next :D.
