Microsoft is delivering a major boost to Copilot on Windows, introducing more advanced AI capabilities along with experimental features that hint at the future of how people will use their PCs.
GPT 5.1 Rolls Out to Copilot
Copilot is now being updated with GPT 5.1, a significant leap for the assistant’s underlying intelligence. The rollout began shortly after the model’s launch on November 12, 2025, and is happening quietly through server-side updates—no downloads or manual steps required.
What’s especially notable is accessibility: unlike other platforms where GPT 5.1’s Thinking models sit behind a paywall, Copilot users on Windows get access for free. Copilot’s regular smart mode now runs on GPT 5.1, while the “Think Deeper” setting taps into the more advanced reasoning mode of the model.
Since the rollout is staggered, users may see the upgrade appear on the Windows app before it reaches the web version or vice versa.
Copilot Labs Lands on the Windows Desktop App
Microsoft is also bringing Copilot Labs, a hub for experimental AI features, directly into the Windows desktop version. Until now, Labs existed only on the web.
Visual features are already built into the desktop app, letting users upload and analyse images without opening a browser. Other Labs tools—such as 3D object creation, audio-based features, and portrait generation—still redirect to the web for the time being, but Microsoft plans to integrate them natively over time.
The Windows edition of Copilot is one of Microsoft’s few fully native AI applications, built with WinUI 3. Even then, components like the Pages view still rely on WebView2, so it remains a hybrid setup for now.
Agent Workspace: Copilot’s Most Ambitious Experiment Yet
The newest experimental feature, Actions, is currently being tested through Copilot Labs and represents Microsoft’s push into true autonomous PC assistance.
Actions introduces “agentic” AI—tools that can act on your behalf by interacting with files and apps on your device. This system runs inside a secure environment Microsoft calls Agent Workspace, which isolates the assistant’s operations from the rest of the system. Think of it as a separate virtual desktop where the AI can run tasks without interrupting what you’re doing.
Possible uses for Actions include:
- Automatically organizing files and folders
- Managing documents or restructuring directories
- Extracting text from PDFs and converting them to other formats
- Creating PowerPoint presentations using local files
- Orchestrating workflows that involve multiple apps
Microsoft emphasises that security is an integral part of the design. Actions are scoped to task-specific permissions, not full access to your PC. You can monitor what the agent is doing, approve actions, and revoke access at any time. This “runtime isolation” aims to allow powerful automation without compromising privacy.
What Users Should Expect
Pairing a cutting-edge AI model with experimental tools and autonomous system features shows where Microsoft wants Copilot to go. Instead of being just a conversational tool, Copilot is slowly evolving into a full digital assistant capable of handling real work on your machine.
The automation features are still in early preview, and Microsoft hasn’t provided a release window for general availability. But if they mature, they could drastically change everyday computing—helping users offload repetitive tasks and simplifying complex workflows.
For now, Microsoft is rolling out changes carefully, gathering feedback and watching performance before committing to wider deployment. However, one thing is clear: Copilot’s evolution is accelerating, and Windows is becoming an increasingly integral part of the AI-powered future.
