Microsoft announced that it will withdraw support for the Cortana virtual assistant application on Windows by the end of 2023, and Users can access new productivity features implemented in Windows and Edge, thanks to the greater capabilities offered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). The American company is ending its Cortana support service for Android and iOS in 2021, ending features such as to-do lists or reminders on smartphones. Now Microsoft has the same plans for the Windows version.
This is stated in a statement released by the tech company on its support blog. “Some changes” are happening in Windows this will affect users of the Cortana app. In this context, Microsoft has emphasized that until the end of 2023, Cortana will no longer be supported as a standalone application on Windows. Cortana was released in 2014 as a voice assistant for Windows mobile devices, including features that make it easy for users to perform tasks such as searching for files, creating lists, creating reminders or setting alarms. A year later, it came to computers with the Windows 10 update.
For users using Cortana in their workflow on Windows, Microsoft highlighted: will help them “make a smooth transition” towards the new support options you’ve recently implemented in Windows and Edge. As the company explains, users can now “meet their productivity needs” with other tools instead of clicking the Cortana icon to launch the app and launch voice commands. That’s why Microsoft referred to the voice access function in Windows 11, an innovation that allows you to control the computer and type using your voice with utilities such as opening applications, browsing the web, or reading and writing e-mail. All this without the need for a connection and using “advanced” voice recognition technology.
The tech giant also referred to: New Bing powered by artificial intelligence, where the user can ask complex questions in Bing Chat and get answers related to information from trusted sources on the web. Following this line, users can use Microsoft 365 Copilot It also uses artificial intelligence to “turn words into a powerful productivity tool” in Microsoft 365 services such as calendar, email or documents. It also provides assistance to users while creating, editing and sharing content.
Finally, the company referred Windows CopilotA new AI-powered assistant that, together with Bing Chat and first-party and third-party plugins, can “bring users’ ideas to life” in complex projects or a typical daily workflow. In this way, Microsoft integrates AI assistance into the operating system itself to use it in all kinds of tasks. Windows Copilot will be available on: Windows 11 preview coming June 11. It can be used directly from the desktop taskbar and if you click on it, a side column with chat will appear where you can request different functions. These functions differ from typing text, summarizing it, or explaining its content, as well as providing access to capabilities powered by Bing and ChatGPT.