Microsoft Edge is now an AI browser
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Microsoft's tireless push to insert its Copilot AI functionality into almost everything continues this week with Copilot Mode for its Edge browser. For now, it's an "experimental" feature that's free to use or disable.
Microsoft has quietly started rolling out a new ‘Copilot-first’ experience for Microsoft Edge on Windows 11 (and Windows 10 for as long as it’s supported). Copilot mode is now turned on by default, and it replaces the traditional New Tab Page, which had links to most visited sites and MSN (if the feature was turned on).
It’s shocking, given that Microsoft was an early investor in OpenAI. With its early Bing Chat launch, Microsoft pulled ahead of both OpenAI and Google, offering the first chatbot that could search the web. Microsoft even had early access to a more advanced GPT model than the one you could use in ChatGPT at the time. Then everything changed.
While Microsoft AI is improving voice and video, Suleyman says he wants a “quieter, simpler, optimized working environment” and that he’s thinking about improving his “workshop” in the future. That might be a hint at potential changes to the Copilot app on Windows in the future, or even bigger changes with Microsoft’s Copilot Plus PCs.
4don MSN
Now, Microsoft is testing another virtual assistant. While it's not quite Clippy 2.0, the new Copilot Appearance experiment from Copilot Labs is definitely giving major Clippy vibes.
The domain is currently up for sale, and a quick WHOIS search showed it's managed by eName Technology Co. Ltd, a Chinese registrar with no known ties to Microsoft. The domain has been active since 2005, according to the listing, long before Microsoft 365 branding was even a thing.
Unlike Recall, which processes data locally and was delayed after security backlash, Copilot Vision operates remotely in the cloud. Microsoft insists that users must actively enable the feature and that the data is not stored long-term, nor is it used for model training or advertising personalisation.
A redesigned widgets panel on Windows 11 replaces the MSN feed with a new Copilot Discover layout, which curates stories based on your likes using AI.