Microsoft Corp. today introduced a set of upgrades to the version of its Copilot artificial intelligence assistant that ships with Windows 11.

Some of the enhancements are generally available today, while the others will be accessible through the company’s Windows Insider beta testing program.

All Windows 11 users in markets where Copilot is offered can now access Copilot Vision, a version of the assistant with computer version features. Consumers can ask it for pointers on how to navigate a newly downloaded application’s interface. Copilot Vision can also generate text, provide graphic design advice and perform other tasks.

Until now, consumers could only interact with Copilot Vision using voice commands. Microsoft plans to roll out a chatbot interface that will add support for text instructions. The standard version of Copilot, in turn, is gaining new voice controls. Users can now activate it by saying “Hey Copilot” and end a conversation by saying “Goodbye.”

A second set of AI enhancements will become available via Microsoft’s Windows Insider feature testing program. The additions are headlined by a new version of Copilot Actions, an AI agent the company first previewed in March. The tool can automatically perform multi-step tasks on the user’s behalf.

The initial version of the tool that debuted in March could only carry out browser-based tasks. As part of the update announced today, Copilot Actions will gain the ability to interact with the files on its host computer. The upgrade will enable users to automate tasks such as extracting information from local PDF documents.

Copilot is also gaining the ability to access files stored in OneDrive and Google Drive. “Once you’ve opted in to connect a service, Copilot can find and understand your personal content using your own words, making it easier to find and remember details in your connected personal content across multiple platforms,” Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s consumer chief marketing officer, wrote in a blog post today.

Another enhancement rolling out to the Windows Insider program will make it easier to edit operating system settings. It will enable users to describe the change they wish to make in natural language and have Copilot bring up the relevant settings page.

The new automation features will be joined by a number of other improvements. Microsoft plans to add a button to the Windows 11 taskbar that will make it possible to launch Copilot with one click. The company will also roll out Windows 11 integrations for Zoom, the Manus AI agent service and a video editing application called Filmora.

Image: Microsoft