Microsoft is giving Copilot more control over Windows and your files

Microsoft is expanding Copilot's role on Windows PCs, giving the assistant the ability to act on files stored on a user's machine. The company introduced the capability under the name Hybrid Intelligence, which it says lets Copilot use local files to carry out tasks. The features are headed to Copilot over the next couple of months, according to Jacob Andreou, Microsoft's EVP of Copilot.

Andreou demonstrated how Hybrid Intelligence works during an onstage video at a Microsoft event. He asked Microsoft's Autopilot tool to help with filing his taxes and told the AI agent that he had received an email from his accountant, then asked Autopilot to gather what she needed. Autopilot used Hybrid Intelligence to search across multiple folders for the documents, rename the files, compress them into a folder, and prepare an email to the accountant with the compressed file attached.

Microsoft also used the event to show a new Windows search experience that allows users to perform quick actions directly from the search bar. Examples shown include switching on dark mode, adjusting microphone volume through an in-line slider, and sending a text message. Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft's Windows and Surface boss, said the new experience will be available starting this fall on Windows 11 PCs.

Both announcements arrive as Microsoft continues to position Copilot as a deeper part of the Windows experience rather than a standalone assistant. The Hybrid Intelligence features extend Copilot's reach beyond answering questions into handling files and completing multi-step tasks on a user's own PC. The search changes target everyday actions that currently require navigating through settings or separate apps.

The event also served as the venue for other Microsoft hardware and software news, including the Surface Laptop Ultra. The Verge reported that the Surface Laptop Ultra has a release date and a starting price of $2,599, and that the first Nvidia RTX Spark laptops cost up to $7,000.

For US Windows users, the practical effect is that Copilot's file-handling abilities and the revamped search bar will arrive on different timelines. Hybrid Intelligence features are slated for the coming months, while the search experience is set for this fall on Windows 11 PCs. Microsoft has not said how the file access will be managed or what controls users will have.

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