"Microsoft Leverages AI Technology to Enhance Windows Search Functionality"

Microsoft is enhancing Windows search on the new Copilot Plus PCs with AI models, featuring a Click to Do function similar to Google’s Circle to Search. These improvements will facilitate seamless interactions with images, emails, documents, and videos, beginning in November.

The upgraded search capability will first debut in File Explorer, allowing users to find images by describing them, even if the keywords are not present in the filename. “AI-powered search makes it dramatically easier to find virtually anything,” says Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s executive vice president and consumer chief marketing officer. “You no longer need to remember file names or specific document locations. Windows will better understand your intent and match the right document, image, file, or email.”

In addition to File Explorer, this enhanced search will soon be integrated into the main Windows search interface and the Settings search box, making it easier to find relevant settings. With this AI-driven natural language search, users can expect significant improvements in search functionality.

Microsoft is utilizing NPU chips in Copilot Plus PCs for local searches on OneDrive content, allowing access without internet connectivity.

The Click to Do feature will roll out next month, enabling users to click the Windows key and then select images or text on their screen for quick actions. This function enhances productivity by helping users find, learn, edit, shop, or perform other tasks directly from their current view. “Click to Do works by understanding everything you’ve seen on your screen and enabling useful shortcuts,” Mehdi explains. It allows visual searches of YouTube videos via Bing and assists with text-related tasks such as rewriting documents, summarizing content, or sending emails.

Testing of these new features will begin in October with Windows Insiders, followed by a wider rollout in November. Additionally, Microsoft is introducing generative fill and erase functions to Microsoft Paint as part of its latest AI features.