Microsoft is giving Copilot more control over Windows and your files

At Microsoft's Windows and Surface event, the company demonstrated an upgrade to its Copilot AI that can access local files on a PC and perform actions across the operating system. The capability is part of a broader "Hybrid Intelligence" strategy that mixes local and cloud models to complete tasks, and Microsoft says related features will roll out in the coming months.

By AI Newsroom· Reviewed by Pranav, Founder & Editor-in-ChiefPublished 28 minutes agoUpdated 27 minutes ago0 views

Microsoft is giving Copilot more control over Windows and your files

Why It Matters

Giving Copilot direct access to local files and OS controls changes how users could delegate complex, multi-step tasks to an AI agent and raises questions about workflow automation and privacy boundaries. Microsoft positioning these features as a hybrid of on-device and cloud AI signals a push toward more integrated, action-oriented assistants in Windows.

Key Facts

Event: Microsoft Windows and Surface event
Speaker/Demo: Jacob Andreou, EVP of Copilot demonstrated Autopilot
Feature name: Hybrid Intelligence (mix of local and cloud AI models)
Demo actions: search folders, rename files, zip files, draft email to accountant
Rollout timing: features coming to Copilot over the "next couple months" (per Andreou)

At its Windows and Surface event, Microsoft revealed a Copilot upgrade designed to work with both local files and cloud models under a concept it calls "Hybrid Intelligence." The company says this approach lets apps and tools combine on-device and cloud-based AI to complete tasks more efficiently. Onstage, Jacob Andreou, Microsoft’s EVP of Copilot, presented a video demo showing how the system could handle a tax-related chore. In the demonstration, Autopilot searched across folders on the PC to locate required documents, renamed them, compressed them into a zip archive, and composed an email attaching the archive for the user’s accountant. Microsoft indicated that features leveraging Hybrid Intelligence will be introduced to Copilot over the next couple of months. The company also showcased an updated Windows search interface that supports quick, inline actions — for example toggling dark mode, adjusting microphone volume with a slider, or sending a text directly from the search bar. Windows and Surface lead Pavan Davuluri said the refreshed search experience will begin arriving on Windows 11 PCs this fall. The announcements underscore Microsoft’s effort to make its assistant technology more proactive and capable of taking multi-step actions across the operating system.