IN SUMMARY
- Microsoft kills Cortana app on Windows 11, suggests other productivity assistants.
- Cortana’s downfall: No momentum or third-party interest, unlike Alexa and Google Assistant.
- Meet “Windows Copilot”: Microsoft’s promising AI assistant for productivity and user support.
- Windows Copilot preview out now, with third-party plugin support coming soon.
- Microsoft’s bold move: Embracing OpenAI’s GPT-4 to revolutionize user interactions on Windows.
Microsoft has officially pulled the plug on its standalone Cortana app for Windows 11. Users with the app installed on their PCs will now receive a message indicating its deprecation, marking the end of an era for the once-promising voice assistant.
The company had previously warned of this development in June, stating that Cortana’s standalone support would cease for both Windows 11 and Windows 10 by the end of 2023.
Introduced on Windows Phone 8.1 in 2014 and later brought to Windows 10 PCs, Cortana was Microsoft’s answer to voice-activated personal assistants. However, despite its early potential, the Cortana app failed to garner the same level of popularity as competitors like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant. Third-party manufacturers showed little interest in integrating Cortana into their products, leading to its gradual decline over the years.
Realizing the limitations of the Cortana app as a consumer-centric voice assistant, Microsoft shifted its focus to productivity use cases. But even these efforts proved insufficient to revitalize Cortana’s market presence. Nevertheless, Microsoft’s Chief Product Officer, Panos Panay, expressed optimism about the future of AI during CES earlier this year. He confidently stated that AI would revolutionize user experiences on Windows.
Fulfilling this vision, Microsoft is now actively embracing OpenAI’s GPT-4 technology with its new line of “Copilot” products. These AI-powered tools are designed to provide enhanced productivity and user assistance. Earlier this year, Microsoft introduced its Bing chatbot as a solid alternative to ChatGPT, which has been integrated into the company’s Edge browser. This offering was just a taste of what was to come.
The next big step in Microsoft’s AI journey is the imminent launch of “Windows Copilot,” a much-improved AI assistant set to replace Cortana. Currently available in preview with Insiders on the Dev Channel and being rolled out to a subset of Beta Channel testers, Windows Copilot boasts a web-based interface that heavily relies on Microsoft Edge.
Although Windows Copilot does not support voice interactions like traditional voice assistants, it is expected to outperform the Cortana app in terms of utility and relevance. Unlike Cortana, which often defaulted to displaying search results when unable to comprehend user queries, Windows Copilot takes a different approach to provide more accurate and insightful assistance.
Microsoft’s plans for Windows Copilot are ambitious, and the company is working on enhancing the assistant further with the forthcoming support for third-party plugins. By collaborating with OpenAI on an open standard for plugins, Microsoft aims to create an ecosystem that encourages developers to build skills and integrations for Windows Copilot, thereby avoiding the dearth of third-party support that plagued Cortana.
With the demise of the standalone Cortana app, Microsoft takes a significant step forward in its AI strategy, positioning itself to reclaim lost ground in the voice assistant market. As Windows Copilot continues to evolve and gain traction, Microsoft believes it will redefine the user experience on Windows and pave the way for a more productive, efficient, and AI-driven computing future.
While the curtain falls on the Cortana app, the stage is now set for Windows Copilot to shine and demonstrate Microsoft’s commitment to leveraging AI to enrich its products and services.
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