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Remember Cortana? Microsoft's OG virtual assistant that never really took off in the same way as Siri or Google Assistant did?
Well, it seems the tech giant is back with another attempt in the voice assistant space. Microsoft is currently testing a new feature for their AI app, Copilot, that lets you prompt it simply by saying "Hey Copilot!"
Say The Magic Words
Once you enable this feature within the Copilot app settings, you can just say "Hey Copilot!" anytime your PC is unlocked to start a voice conversation. A microphone icon will pop up on your screen, along with a little chime to let you know Copilot is all ears.
It's designed to be hands-free, so you can ask questions or bounce ideas off it without having to type or click. You can ask anything from "Hey Copilot, what’s the weather like in Kuala Lumpur?" to more complex queries or productivity tasks.
The interaction will end automatically after a few seconds of inactivity or you can tap the 'X' button on your screen. You will hear a hang up chime or a voice confirmation that the call ended.
The "Hey Copilot" feature can detect when you say the phrase even if your computer isn't connected to the internet. However, to actually have a conversation and get responses from Copilot, you will need an internet connection. This is because Copilot Voice relies on processing information in the cloud to understand your questions and generate answers, just like when you type to it.
But What About Voice Privacy?
Microsoft assures us that it's not constantly recording everything. It uses an "on-device wake word spotter" that only listens for the "Hey Copilot!" phrase.
"The wake word spotter uses an on-device 10 second audio buffer in memory. This audio buffer is never recorded or stored locally," according to Microsoft.
Where Can I Try This Out?
The feature isn’t available to Windows Insider users (Microsoft's open software testing programme), but it is rolling out to testers worldwide who have English set as their display language. Only English-language Windows Insiders with Copilot app version 1.25051.10.0 or later are getting "Hey Copilot!" for now.
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News sources: Windows Insider Blog
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