Your Windows 11 Taskbar can start thinking for itself – here's what you need to know before it hits your laptop
Microsoft is experimenting with an AI companion that could sit right on your Taskbar, helping with tasks, spotting content, and possibly acting with some autonomy.
Microsoft is clearly on board with the latest industry fad – AI – and now it seems to be working on putting AI in even more places on your Windows 11 laptop or PC. Now, references to a new feature called "agentic companions" for the Windows 11 Taskbar have been spotted in Windows 11 preview builds.
The discovered feature suggests that the company is working on bringing AI companions to the Taskbar. The strings hinting at that were noticed in the latest Windows 11 Insider builds, and more recent builds don't reference the "agentic" part, probably to draw attention away from the feature in development.
Details on what the feature exactly is are not available at the moment.
Potentially, there may be an AI companion accessible via the Taskbar. It may have a dedicated system button so you would be able to activate it, and it will probably be able to help out with a current task or activity.
Image Credit - Microsoft
Probably, Microsoft will favor its own AI chatbot, Copilot, for the job. There are other ones like Gemini and ChatGPT that are direct competitors to Copilot, but it is not known at the time whether this dedicated button would be extensive.
There are quite a lot of new AI experiences for Windows 11. In recent months, Microsoft has been working hard on adding new features to its Copilot portfolio, and some of these even require new hardware (Copilot+ PCs) to work.
For example, there's the new Click To Do feature, which in a way is similar to Google's Circle To Search. The feature scans your screen, identifies images and text, and provides contextual actions.
Would you want an AI companion on your Windows 11 Taskbar?
Absolutely, sounds useful
6.25%
Maybe, depends on how it works
12.5%
No, I don't want AI popping up everywhere
81.25%
Meanwhile, Microsoft has previously teased that the future of Windows will be agentic. Agentic means that the OS may be able to act independently with a degree of autonomy. So, it's not a surprise that the latest feature in development is referenced as "agentic", even though this word, in particular, has been removed at the moment.
On top of all that, there's also Copilot Vision, which may also play a role. Copilot Vision can see the screen right alongside you. Maybe this Taskbar companion will be able to harness that power as well.
But for now, we don't know exactly what this Taskbar companion will be able to do.
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I personally think that adding AI everywhere can feel a bit much sometimes. I like helpful features, but having too many AI tools popping up might get distracting. Still, it's interesting to see what Microsoft is experimenting with, and some people will probably love having an AI companion ready on the Taskbar. I'd just prefer it stays optional for now.
Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master's degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She's also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it's walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.
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