Microsoft has recently announced a selection of updates as part of its Copilot Fall Release, including a collaborative feature, as well as previously promised upgrades to Copilot Mode for the Edge browser. At the forefront of these changes is Mico, a new face for the AI assistant.
In a blog post announcing the updates, the company explained that the avatar serves to offer a visual presence that is “warm” and “expressive”. Named after Microsoft Copilot, Mico appears as a colour-changing amorphous blob. The AI helper is intended to be “empathetic and supportive”, and will sometimes “respectfully” push back on the user.
Appearances aside, Mico is more or less a successor of sorts to Clippy, the infamous anthropomorphic paperclip seen in the old versions of Microsoft Office. Some users have already discovered that they can transform Mico into Clippy by tapping on it repeatedly.
As mentioned earlier, Mico is not the only addition to Copilot. Copilot Groups is a new feature that allows users to collaborate with up to 32 people. To use this feature, users must start a session and send a link to fellow users. Those joining the session will see the same conversation and can participate.
Furthermore, the Copilot Fall Release introduces long term memory to the AI companion. Users can ask Copilot to remember specific information, allowing the assistant to recall it in future interactions. Additionally, Copilot will reference previous conversations. Aside from the memory improvements, Microsoft is enabling the AI to access services like OneDrive, Outlook, Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Calendar.
As for the updates to Copilot Mode, users can now let the assistant handle tasks on their behalf. Some examples include booking a hotel and filling out forms. The Journeys feature organises past browsing, allowing users to easily resume tasks.
Other changes include improvements to how Copilot handles health-related queries, as well as a new Learn Live feature that turns the assistant into a voice-enabled tutor. Finally, Microsoft has introduced “Hey Copilot” as the new wake word to summon the AI companion.
At the moment, all these updates are live in the US only. However, Microsoft claims that it is quickly rolling out the new features to the UK, Canada, and other regions in the coming weeks. The company also notes that the availability of specific features may vary depending on market, device, and platform. As such, it is uncertain whether all of these features will be available for local users.
(Source: Microsoft [blog])
