Windows 11 Introduces New AI-Powered Features

Microsoft today announced a wave of new AI-driven features for Windows 11 that promise to transform the PC experience on Copilot+ devices.

Building on the earlier introduction of Copilot Vision and improved Windows Search, these updates embed generative AI agents directly into core system apps—from Settings and Snipping Tool to Paint and Photos—so users can interact with their machines in natural language, capture perfect screenshots with one click, relight portraits using virtual lighting, generate stickers by prompt and more. Below, we explore three major pillars of this release and the key technical building blocks that make it all possible.

Agent in Settings Simplifies System Configuration

Windows 11’s Settings app now hosts its first AI agent, powered by the Mu language model optimized for Copilot+ PCs.

Instead of hunting through nested menus, users simply type requests like “enable Quiet Hours” or “connect my Bluetooth headset” into the Settings search box.

The agent parses the intent, executes the underlying API call,s and updates relevant registry keys or system states in real time.

For example, invoking Quiet Hours triggers a PowerShell command under the hood:

powershellSet-ItemProperty -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Notifications\Settings' -Name 'QuietHoursState' -Value 1

If the agent cannot directly apply a change, improved Windows Search surfaces the nearest matching controls.

Initially available in English on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, Intel and AMD hardware support will follow in the coming months.

Click to Do and Copilot Vision Streamline Workflow

Click to Do, a preview feature on Windows 11, delivers contextual AI actions over highlighted text and images.

After pressing Win + Click or Win + Q, a lightweight overlay analyzes the selection and offers options such as “Draft with Copilot in Word,” “Search the Web” or “Schedule Teams meeting.”

The “Draft with Copilot in Word” action invokes the Microsoft 365 Copilot API, issuing an HTTP POST to the Graph endpoint:

textPOST https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/drive/items/{item-id}/workbook/createSession
Content-Type: application/json

{ "prompt": "Expand this email snippet into a formal summary." }

Meanwhile, Copilot Vision extends AI assistance by visually inspecting an active window.

After enabling the camera icon in the Copilot launcher, Windows captures UI elements, calls the Azure Computer Vision API, and generates clickable overlays that guide users through complex multi-app tasks.

With Highlights, Copilot can even animate on-screen hints showing where to click next.

Media Tools and Recovery Features Empower Creativity

In Photos, the new Relight feature lets users place up to three virtual LEDs around subjects. Each light source is represented by a set of parameters—position, intensity, color—rendered via pixel-shader algorithms on the GPU.

Typical usage invokes a DirectX 12 compute shader to recalculate per-pixel normals and apply Phong shading in real time.

Similarly, Paint’s Sticker Generator taps into a cloud-based diffusion model: typing “cat astronaut” sends a JSON payload to an Azure AI endpoint, which returns a PNG sticker over WebSocket streaming.

Object Select uses a TensorFlow.js model running in the Paint Electron host to isolate image elements with a single click.

And when unexpected restarts occur, Quick Machine Recovery leverages the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to auto-diagnose common faults using preflight scripts.

Instead of a 40-second loading screen, most devices now reboot in under two seconds, displaying a simplified UI that retains technical details for IT professionals.

With Windows 10 support ending October 14, 2025, Microsoft encourages users to migrate to Windows 11 and Copilot+ PCs to leverage these AI superpowers.

To enable early access, navigate to Settings → Windows Update and toggle “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available,” or check for this month’s non-security preview release.

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