&w=3840&q=100)
Microsoft details on-device AI capabilities coming with Windows 11 update
The update is available through this month's non-security preview release and Microsoft Store app updates, with gradual rollout expected over the next few weeks.
How to get the update
These features are rolling out gradually via controlled feature rollout (CFR) starting this month. To get early access:
Make sure apps like Microsoft Paint, Photos, and Copilot are also updated through the Microsoft Store.
What's new in the latest Windows 11 update
AI Agent for Settings (Copilot+ PCs only)
A new AI-powered settings assistant lets users search and change system settings using natural language. For example, typing 'turn on quiet hours' or 'connect Bluetooth' in the Settings search bar will now suggest one-click actions. This feature is initially available on Snapdragon-based Copilot+ PCs and will expand to Intel and AMD Copilot+ systems later.
Click to Do: Expanded contextual actions
The Click to Do preview has been updated with more AI-powered contextual tools. Users can now:
Practice reading fluency with Reading Coach
Read selected text in a focused format via Immersive Reader
Generate document drafts with Draft with Copilot in Word
Message or schedule meetings via Microsoft Teams directly from recognised email addresses
Click to Do can be activated using Windows + click, Windows + Q, or gestures like swiping from the right on touch-enabled devices.
Photos app: AI-based Relight
The updated Photos app now includes a Relight feature, allowing users to apply up to three virtual light sources to images and adjust brightness, softness, color, and intensity—similar to professional editing tools. This feature is currently limited to Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X chips.
Paint: AI sticker generator and object selection
Two new tools are now available in the Paint app:
Sticker generator: Create custom stickers using text prompts (e.g., 'a cat wearing sunglasses').
Object select: Use AI to isolate and edit specific elements within an image.
These features build on previous Paint enhancements like Cocreator and generative erase.
Snipping Tool: Perfect Screenshot and Color Picker
Perfect Screenshot: Uses AI to intelligently crop screen captures to relevant content (Copilot+ PCs only).
Color Picker: Lets users sample any color from the screen and view it in HEX, RGB, or HSL format. This feature is available on all Windows 11 devices.
Copilot Vision and Highlights (US only)
Copilot Vision enables real-time AI assistance based on what's visible on screen. It can offer help, analyse content, and show step-by-step instructions with visual cues. Users can activate it from the Copilot app and choose what to share. This is a fully opt-in experience.
Edge game assist
Microsoft Edge now integrates Game Assist, offering:
Game guides and tips
Quick access to Discord, Spotify, and Twitch
Available via the Game Bar (Win + G) for Windows 11 users.
Faster recovery from unexpected restarts
Unexpected reboots will now use Quick Machine Recovery through Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to auto-detect and fix issues. Microsoft also claims to have reduced restart screen time from 40 seconds to just 2 seconds for most users, along with a simplified UI for clarity.
Windows 10 support transition
As support for Windows 10 ends on October 14, 2025, Microsoft is launching an Extended Security Updates (ESU) program. A new setup wizard will help users enroll directly from their Windows 10 PCs, ensuring continued protection during the transition.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Intel and Times of India Launch 'The Learning Curve' to Bridge Digital Trust Gap in Education
NewsVoir New Delhi [India], July 28: Intel, in partnership with The Times of India, today announced the launch of The Learning Curve, a landmark campaign focused on reshaping how Indian parents and educators view the role of technology--particularly PCs and AI--in school education. With over 248 million school students across the country (Economic Survey 2024-25) and persistent gaps in digital infrastructure, this initiative takes on the urgent task of rebuilding trust in technology as an enabler of responsible, personalized learning. The campaign draws attention to stark disparities in India's educational ecosystem: only 57.2% of schools have functional computers (UDISE Plus, 2023-24), and a mere 53.9% (UDISE Plus, 2023-24) have internet access. Yet, the pressure on students to succeed academically continues to rise. The Learning Curve leverages real stories, expert insights, and survey data from over 100,000 Indian parents and educators to tackle common fears around screen time, distraction, misinformation, and the perceived replacement of teachers by machines. The campaign takes root in a significant mindset gap: while many parents acknowledge the benefits of technology, 55% still view AI as potentially risky or harmful to critical thinking. Nearly one in three cite academic stress as a top concern, while 43% are actively seeking expert guidance on how to use technology effectively for their children's education. To address these concerns, The Learning Curve is built around three core pillars: * Empowerment Through Education: Positioning the PC as a personalized tutor and productivity partner in a child's learning journey--from discovery to mastery. * Ethical, Safe Technology Use: Advocating for Intel-powered PCs with parental controls, privacy safeguards, and secure learning environments. * Cultural Relevance & Local Stories: Featuring parenting voices across India, from celebrities like Soha Ali Khan and Kranti Redkar to regional teachers transforming classrooms with tech. One of the defining features of The Learning Curve is its emotionally grounded storytelling. The campaign features well-known parenting voices such as Soha Ali Khan, Kranti Redkar, and Prithi Ashwin, who reflect on their own children's evolving learning journeys. From watching their kids engage with interactive educational content to navigating questions around screen time and online safety, these mothers bring authenticity and vulnerability to the conversation. Their stories strike a chord with Indian parents--balancing curiosity with caution, and change with care. In fact, a striking 66% of parents surveyed believe technology can be a powerful educational ally--if guided well. This highlights that the barrier isn't belief in tech itself, but a lack of clarity and trusted direction. The Learning Curve aims to bridge this gap with credible voices and real-world stories that show what responsible, effective tech use can actually look like. These stories will include voices from the education frontlines, such as Ranjitsinh Disale, the Global Teacher Prize 2020 winner known for transforming rural classrooms through innovative, tech-enabled teaching methods. Disale, who famously introduced QR-coded textbooks in a government school in Maharashtra, lends his expertise to advocate for meaningful tech integration in classrooms. His participation underscores the campaign's belief that the right tools--used mindfully--can democratize learning, boost accessibility, and empower both teachers and students to achieve more. Aligned with national policy frameworks such as the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) and global calls for digital inclusion, The Learning Curve complements India's push toward future-ready education. With the AI-in-education market expected to grow at around 40% CAGR in Asia-Pacific, Intel is investing in campaigns that not only address access but also perception and trust. From expert-led videos to myth-busting explainers and regional-language guides, The Learning Curve offers a dynamic mix of content in English, Hindi, Marathi, and Tamil--crafted to challenge assumptions and spark fresh thinking about tech in education. Now streaming across TOI's digital platforms and social channels, these stories and insights invite audiences to explore how AI-powered PCs are quietly transforming learning across India. Dive into the conversation at Santhosh Viswanathan, Managing Director of Intel India, emphasizes the urgent need for both infrastructural and attitudinal change in education: "Technology is now the bedrock of education. It's democratising access to learning, enabling personalised experiences, and connecting students and educators like never before. At Intel, we align with UNESCO's view that digital technologies are evolving into integrated networks, forming the infrastructure of modern truly harness this power, we must prioritise areas like digital infrastructure, AI-based learning tools, and intelligent tutoring systems. However, we also need a critical mindset shift. Computers are still seen as distractions, and rote learning is deeply ingrained. With only 57% of Indian schools equipped with functional computers and 53% with internet access (as per the UDISE report), this gap must be urgently addressed." Intel's long-standing commitment to inclusive innovation and ecosystem development continues to drive its work in India. Through collaboration with local partners and institutions, the brand aims to build the infrastructure, awareness, and capabilities needed to make every child's learning journey truly limitless. Intel's vision for education in India is rooted in the belief that technology, when thoughtfully deployed, can be a powerful equalizer. With only about half of the schools having functional computers, Intel is committed to bridging this digital divide while transforming mindsets around tech-enabled learning. The company envisions a future where every child has access to an AI-powered PC--serving not as a distraction, but as a personalized tutor and productivity partner. By fostering digital literacy, enhancing infrastructure, and championing safe, responsible use of technology, Intel aims to unlock every student's potential and equip them with the skills needed to thrive in the AI age.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Mercedes-Benz To Allow Teams Calls While Driving, Internet Says ‘Made For Bengaluru'
Last Updated: Mercedes-Benz and Microsoft's collaboration marks the first time a car manufacturer has offered in-motion video call capabilities without distracting the driver with any content. Mercedes-Benz has joined hands with Microsoft to launch a feature that allows drivers to take video meetings while on the road. As surprising as it may sound, the luxury carmaker will now let users access Microsoft Teams Meetings from inside their vehicles even while driving. The new feature is being introduced through the Mercedes-Benz Operating System ( which debuts with the newly unveiled CLA model. It marks the first time a car manufacturer has offered in-motion video call capabilities without distracting the driver with any content. How Does It Work? Mercedes-Benz says the Teams Meetings integration will allow drivers to join calls using an in-built camera. This means drivers will be visible to other participants during a meeting. But to ensure safety, the driver will not be able to see video footage of other participants when the vehicle is in motion. 'Given the brand's focus on safety, the use of the camera abides by the laws of each country and has been approved for use while the vehicle is in motion. The meeting video stream turns off automatically as soon as the camera is activated to prevent driver distraction," Mercedes-Benz said in an official press release. One X user called it a feature 'not a single soul asked for." Another posted, 'Can't even have peace while driving now. Insane. Bring back the days of travel without constant connection." 'Peak integrating solutions into nobody's problem," someone else said. A person wrote, 'I think it is one of the funniest things I ever heard. We are going to make your commute more of a pain." The jokes continued on Team BHP, one of India's most popular car forums. 'Looks like it was specially made for Bengaluru. Anyway people are stuck in traffic, let's make the most of it," an individual jokingly shared. Another said, 'Oh that's great! Now they'll get to see me curse at the traffic all the way to my office now!" Microsoft 365 Copilot Also Onboard Beyond Teams video calls, the collaboration is also bringing Microsoft 365 Copilot to the Mercedes-Benz cabin. This will allow drivers to use voice commands to manage emails and manage daily tasks. The idea, as Mercedes-Benz puts it, is to create a 'third workspace." Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
AI Agents Are Here, What They Can Do And How They Can Go Wrong
Melbourne: We are entering the third phase of generative AI. First came the chatbots, followed by the assistants. Now we are beginning to see agents: systems that aspire to greater autonomy and can work in "teams" or use tools to accomplish complex tasks. The latest hot product is OpenAI's ChatGPT agent. This combines two pre-existing products (Operator and Deep Research) into a single more powerful system which, according to the developer, "thinks and acts". These new systems represent a step up from earlier AI tools. Knowing how they work and what they can do - as well as their drawbacks and risks - is rapidly becoming essential. From chatbots to agents ChatGPT launched the chatbot era in November 2022, but despite its huge popularity the conversational interface limited what could be done with the technology. Enter the AI assistant, or copilot. These are systems built on top of the same large language models that power generative AI chatbots, only now designed to carry out tasks with human instruction and supervision. Agents are another step up. They are intended to pursue goals (rather than just complete tasks) with varying degrees of autonomy, supported by more advanced capabilities such as reasoning and memory. Multiple AI agent systems may be able to work together, communicating with each other to plan, schedule, decide and coordinate to solve complex problems. Agents are also "tool users" as they can also call on software tools for specialised tasks - things such as web browsers, spreadsheets, payment systems and more. A year of rapid development Agentic AI has felt imminent since late last year. A big moment came last October, when Anthropic gave its Claude chatbot the ability to interact with a computer in much the same way a human does. This system could search multiple data sources, find relevant information and submit online forms. Other AI developers were quick to follow. OpenAI released a web browsing agent named Operator, Microsoft announced Copilot agents, and we saw the launch of Google's Vertex AI and Meta's Llama agents. Earlier this year, the Chinese startup Monica demonstrated its Manus AI agent buying real estate and converting lecture recordings into summary notes. Another Chinese startup, Genspark, released a search engine agent that returns a single-page overview (similar to what Google does now) with embedded links to online tasks such as finding the best shopping deals. Another startup, Cluely, offers a somewhat unhinged "cheat at anything" agent that has gained attention but is yet to deliver meaningful results. Not all agents are made for general-purpose activity. Some are specialised for particular areas. Coding and software engineering are at the vanguard here, with Microsoft's Copilot coding agent and OpenAI's Codex among the frontrunners. These agents can independently write, evaluate and commit code, while also assessing human-written code for errors and performance lags. Search, summarisation and more One core strength of generative AI models is search and summarisation. Agents can use this to carry out research tasks that might take a human expert days to complete. OpenAI's Deep Research tackles complex tasks using multi-step online research. Google's AI "co-scientist" is a more sophisticated multi-agent system that aims to help scientists generate new ideas and research proposals. Agents can do more - and get more wrong Despite the hype, AI agents come loaded with caveats. Both Anthropic and OpenAI, for example, prescribe active human supervision to minimise errors and risks. OpenAI also says its ChatGPT agent is "high risk" due to potential for assisting in the creation of biological and chemical weapons. However, the company has not published the data behind this claim so it is difficult to judge. But the kind of risks agents may pose in real-world situations are shown by Anthropic's Project Vend. Vend assigned an AI agent to run a staff vending machine as a small business - and the project disintegrated into hilarious yet shocking hallucinations and a fridge full of tungsten cubes instead of food. In another cautionary tale, a coding agent deleted a developer's entire database, later saying it had "panicked". Agents in the office Nevertheless, agents are already finding practical applications. In 2024, Telstra heavily deployed Microsoft copilot subscriptions. The company says AI-generated meeting summaries and content drafts save staff an average of 1-2 hours per week. Many large enterprises are pursuing similar strategies. Smaller companies too are experimenting with agents, such as Canberra-based construction firm Geocon's use of an interactive AI agent to manage defects in its apartment developments. Human and other costs At present, the main risk from agents is technological displacement. As agents improve, they may replace human workers across many sectors and types of work. At the same time, agent use may also accelerate the decline of entry-level white-collar jobs. People who use AI agents are also at risk. They may rely too much on the AI, offloading important cognitive tasks. And without proper supervision and guardrails, hallucinations, cyberattacks and compounding errors can very quickly derail an agent from its task and goals into causing harm, loss and injury. The true costs are also unclear. All generative AI systems use a lot of energy, which will in turn affect the price of using agents - especially for more complex tasks. Learn about agents - and build your own Despite these ongoing concerns, we can expect AI agents will become more capable and more present in our workplaces and daily lives. It's not a bad idea to start using (and perhaps building) agents yourself, and understanding their strengths, risks and limitations. For the average user, agents are most accessible through Microsoft copilot studio. This comes with inbuilt safeguards, governance and an agent store for common tasks. For the more ambitious, you can build your own AI agent with just five lines of code using the Langchain framework. (Disclaimer Statement: Daswin de Silva does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.) This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
