The AI digital assistant market is heating up, with frequent updates from all major players. ChatGPT and Gemini are clearly leading the space, while Microsoft’s Copilot, Perplexity, and others are working hard to capture market share through new innovations.
At today’s Copilot Sessions online event, Microsoft announced the Copilot Fall Update to better compete with ChatGPT and Gemini. During the event, Microsoft introduced several new features, including the new Copilot Agent Mode in the Edge browser, Real Talk Mode, and more. Details are summarized below.
Copilot Appearance
Copilot Appearance introduces a new, more visual way to chat with Copilot, featuring real-time expressions, conversational memory, and more. Previously available only in a limited preview, this new Mico character is now rolling out to users in the US, including Copilot mobile apps for iOS and Android.
Copilot Groups:
As the name suggests, Copilot users will be able to invite others to join a conversation with Copilot. This feature will be especially useful for collaboration on shared projects, planning trips, and other group activities. You can invite up to 32 people to Copilot Groups.
Copilot Memory:
Like ChatGPT, Copilot now has long-term memory. You can ask Copilot to remember important information, and it can reference past conversations so you can pick up where you left off. You can also edit, update, or delete memories whenever needed.
Proactive Actions (Preview):
Proactive Actions is a new feature in Deep Research that enables Copilot to surface timely insights and suggest next steps based on your recent Deep Research tasks.
Journeys:
Copilot can remember your browsing history so you can continue where you left off. For example, this will help you in revisiting a research which you did a week ago, without starting over.
Learn Live:
The Learn Live feature turns Copilot into your AI-powered tutor. Using voice, it can guide you through concepts, ask you questions, and use interactive whiteboards and other tools to make your learning experience more engaging.
Imagine:
The new Imagine section in Copilot will allow you to explore and remix AI-generated images.
Real Talk Mode:
A new mode in Copilot that can question your ideas and offer alternative viewpoints instead of simply agreeing with you. It also lets you view and learn from its reasoning process. Microsoft claims that this new mode can help conversations spark growth and connection.
Copilot Actions in Edge (Preview)
The Copilot Actions in Edge feature, first introduced back in May, is now expanding to more users. Copilot Actions is similar to ChatGPT’s Agent Mode, allowing it to take actions on your behalf while you browse the web. For example, it can make restaurant reservations, book concert tickets, and more.
Microsoft has partnered with several popular services, including 1-800-Flowers.com, Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, Kayak, OpenTable, Priceline, Tripadvisor, Skyscanner, Viator, and Vrbo, to support this new feature.
Once you assign a task to Copilot, you can either watch its progress or let it perform the task in the background. You’ll also have full control over how it operates, with Microsoft offering the following three modes:
- Light: Copilot does not request permission before interacting with any site.
- Balanced: Copilot requests permission before interacting with less common sites.
- Strict: Copilot always requests permission before interacting with any site.
Copilot for Health:
When you ask health-related questions to Copilot, Copilot will now respond based on credible sources like Harvard Health to provide reliable information. Copilot users in the U.S. can also easily find nearby doctors based on specialty, gender, language, and other preferences. The results are displayed on an interactive map for a smoother browsing experience.
All the above updates are live now in the U.S. These are also coming to the UK, Canada, and other countries in the next few weeks.