Microsoft Copilot Gets Major Upgrade with Web Actions and Real-Time Vision

Microsoft is giving its AI-powered Copilot chatbot a major upgrade for its 50th anniversary, adding new features that bring it closer in capability to top AI competitors.

Key New Features

• Web Actions: Copilot can now perform tasks on most websites, including booking tickets and making reservations. Microsoft partnered with platforms like Booking.com, 1-800-Flowers.com, OpenTable, Kayak, Priceline, Tripadvisor, Vrbo, and Expedia to ensure compatibility. Just type a prompt like “send a bouquet to my partner,” and Copilot will try to complete the task for you. Websites may also choose to block Copilot, much like they can with OpenAI’s Operator, especially if they’re concerned about losing direct traffic or ad revenue.
  

• Memory and Personalization: Similar to ChatGPT, Copilot can now remember user preferences such as favorite foods or movies. Users can manage or delete this stored information at any time through a dashboard.
  

• Real-Time Visual Analysis: The updated Copilot can analyze live video from phone cameras and photo galleries, answering contextual questions like “What’s this flower?” On Windows, the revamped Copilot app can view your desktop screen to help search, change settings, organize files, and more. The feature will roll out first to Windows Insider Program members starting next week. While powerful, Microsoft has not shared details about safeguards to prevent Copilot from accessing private files or making critical errors.
  

• Smart Shopping Assistant: Like Perplexity AI, Copilot can track prices online, alerting users to deals and providing direct links to purchase when discounts appear.
  

• Podcast-Style Summaries: Copilot can now generate podcast-like audio overviews of web content, research papers, or studies, with interactive capabilities that let users ask follow-up questions, similar to Google's NotebookLM.

Research and Writing Tools:

• Pages: A new feature that organizes notes and research in a visual workspace, inspired by tools like ChatGPT Canvas and Claude Artifacts.
  

• Deep Research: Helps users tackle complex queries by pulling information from documents, online sources, and images.

Privacy and Control

Microsoft emphasizes that users remain in control of what Copilot remembers. Individual memories can be deleted, and users can opt out entirely if desired.

“You remain in control,” Microsoft stated in a blog post shared with TechCrunch, noting that Copilot’s memory features are customizable through a dedicated user dashboard, with users being able to opt-out entirely.

What This Means

The latest updates position Copilot as a more competitive and capable AI assistant, especially in the growing space of “agentic” AI tools that perform multi-step actions on behalf of users. However, Microsoft has not released detailed data on how well Copilot handles these tasks or potential limitations—particularly regarding privacy and error prevention.

As these new capabilities begin rolling out—starting next week for Windows Insiders—user feedback and real-world performance will shape how Copilot evolves in the AI race.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.