Microsoft is integrating its Copilot AI companion more deeply into the popular Windows 11 operating system with multimodal features that allow conversational interaction, screensharing and agentic functionality. All Windows 11 users can now speak naturally to their PCs with Copilot Voice and let the machine see what’s onscreen via Copilot Vision. An agentic feature, Copilot Actions, is being rolled out experimentally through the Windows Insider and Windows Labs programs, which are also adding access to the Manus AI assistant. The features are being introduced worldwide in markets where Copilot is offered.

The changes come as Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14. In an announcement last week, Microsoft vowed to “make every Windows 11 PC an AI PC — with Copilot at the center of it all.” Previously, Copilot access was available only through business subscriptions, with some features also requiring Copilot+ PCs with neural processors.

The Verge writes that the biggest change coming to all Windows 11 PCs is allowing people “to talk to their computers and have Copilot take actions on their behalf.”

The “magic unlock” with Copilot Voice is simplifying interaction with the use of the wake phrase “Hey Copilot,” while  Copilot Vision can “analyze what’s on your screen helping you learn new apps, get recommendations for a project or show you how to do it,” explains Microsoft.

The Verge clarifies that Copilot Vision is “an opt-in feature.”

Copilot Actions make it possible to instruct a PC to independently execute tasks, like making restaurant reservations or editing photos. Introduced via the Microsoft Edge browser in May, Actions is now being made available locally on an experimental basis.

A Windows Learning Center post explains the all-access features. Those interested in the features coming soon to Windows Insider and Windows Labs can find more information midway through the Windows Experience blog post. These include access to the Manus AI general agent from Singapore’s Butterfly Effect, available in private preview.

Manus can be activated by right-clicking in File Explorer and is also available as a native app on Windows right from the Copilot chat window, doing things like creating a website with no coding.

The Filmora video editing app is being integrated via File Explorer, while another action, Click to Do, “will soon schedule Zoom meetings directly from an on-screen email address,” reports TechRepublic, adding that Copilot Connectors let Windows Insiders link beyond Windows, pulling in information from Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar and Google Contacts.

“Yes, these features are rife with security concerns,” but Microsoft’s approach is that Copilot’s “boundaries are clearly defined (as opposed to an ‘always on’ AI), and the user can take control or revoke access at any time,” notes ZDNet.