Microsoft to Introduce AI Copilot into Windows 10

Microsoft is bringing Copilot to Windows 10. The software giant will soon release Copilot to Windows 10 Insider Preview testers, just a few months after stating that there would be no more major updates to Windows 10.

"This is a key opportunity for us to bring the value of Copilot to more customers," explained Aaron Woodman, Vice President of Windows Marketing. Despite the support for Windows 10 ending in less than two years, Microsoft still hopes to leverage the millions of PCs that have not yet upgraded to Windows 11 as a base to gain features like Copilot.

The functionality of Copilot in Windows 10 works similarly to its appearance in Windows 11, with a button on the right side of the taskbar that allows quick access to the chatbot. Yes, you can remove the button. It won't be identical to the Windows 11 version, especially in terms of controlling Windows features and settings.

"There will be some feature differences," said Woodman. "In Windows 11, you can perform some functions or operations that do not exist in Windows 10, so those won't be available in Copilot."

Windows 10 has lower hardware requirements than Windows 11, but Microsoft believes that 4GB of RAM and a 720p screen resolution should be sufficient to support Copilot. Microsoft is only testing with Windows 10 Home and Pro users and plans to announce the Copilot program in Windows 10 commercial versions as soon as possible.

In a support document, Microsoft stated, "We are reevaluating our approach to Windows 10 and making additional investments to ensure everyone can get the most value from their Windows PCs, including Copilot in Windows (Preview)."

This may include more Windows 10 AI features. When asked if the new AI features for Paint in Windows 11 can be obtained on Windows 10, Woodman said, "We are evaluating that for other client AI features like Paint, but those components are relatively more concentrated and use the silicon in the device." "The reason we can do this on Windows 11 is because the minimum system requirements provide us with a foundation to confidently run it at high performance. We are still evaluating whether we can bring this type of functionality back to Windows 10, but we will definitely consider it."

What does the future hold for Windows 10 and what does the end of critical support date mean? Will Microsoft definitely extend support for it? "This is the final version of Windows 10, which is 22H2, and we won't make any changes to it on Windows 10," Woodman insisted. "We won't make any changes to the end of support date for Windows 10, which is still October 14, 2025."

Many have been speculating whether Microsoft will extend support for Windows 10, especially since it is widely used and the adoption rate of Windows 11 is lagging behind. A recent report suggests that Windows 11 is only running on 400 million devices two years after its release. Windows 10 reached the same milestone one year after its release and reached 600 million devices a few months after its second anniversary.

It is widely expected that Microsoft will release a new version of Windows in 2024. Intel recently teased a "Windows refresh" for 2024, hoping to boost its revenue. This teaser came after references to a Windows 12 version leaked from internal documents at Intel a few months ago.