Microsoft is giving Copilot more control over Windows and your files

At its Windows and Surface event, Microsoft announced an upgrade to its Copilot AI system that grants it access to local files on a PC and the ability to take actions across the operating system. Jacob Andreou, Microsoft's EVP of Copilot, presented the change onstage.

Microsoft describes the underlying idea as Hybrid Intelligence, in which apps and tools rely on a combination of local and cloud AI models to complete tasks efficiently. The company used a tax-filing example to demonstrate the concept. In a video shown onstage, Andreou asked Microsoft's Autopilot tool to help with filing taxes, telling the AI agent that he had received an email from his accountant and asking Autopilot to provide her with what she needed.

No release date, pricing, supported Windows versions or specific file permissions were given in the available account of the event.

Why it matters: If Copilot can read local files and act across Windows, developers building on the OS may need to account for an assistant that reaches beyond its own app and into user data and system actions, a shift in how tasks are delegated on the PC.