Microsoft Copilot's Transformation: From AI Assistant to Personalized News Anchor

2024-09-30

Recently, news has emerged that the mobile version of the Copilot app is set to undergo a major overhaul, evolving to function more like a celebrated news anchor rather than a conventional AI assistant. However, the company's secret plans appear to extend beyond this. Unexpectedly, the web version of Copilot has also undergone a dramatic transformation overnight, introducing four brand-new voices and adding a daily news feature.

The upgraded Copilot Web version introduces a "brand-new, modern, and streamlined user interface," with operations that are "simpler than ever." The new release offers both light and dark modes, named "Day" and "Night" respectively, and introduces four new voice options: Meadow, Wave, Grove, and Canyon, providing users with a richer auditory experience.

However, the standout feature of this update is the new "Copilot Daily" function. Neowin describes it as an innovative capability that can segment news and updates, delivering them precisely to users. With a simple click on a link, users can view detailed information from the news source. After reading, Copilot Daily gently reminds users to return the next day for fresh summaries.

Microsoft seems to be aiming to transform Copilot into a comprehensive news reader. Initially, this news-focused shift appears to be targeted exclusively at the mobile app. Given that people are almost always connected to their phones, Microsoft may plan to have Copilot activate alongside alarms, delivering the first news update of the morning to users.

However, the web version of Copilot has now followed suit with similar reforms. This raises speculation about whether Microsoft intends to position Copilot as a comprehensive news aggregator. Whether this is because Microsoft views the news sector as Copilot's strongest arena or due to the relatively small user base of Copilot, the exact reasons may remain unclear. Nonetheless, these changes are worth closely monitoring to see if they will also impact the desktop version of the AI assistant.