Microsoft is starting to integrate AI shortcuts, or what it calls AI actions, into the File Explorer in Windows 11.
These shortcuts let you right-click on a file and quickly get to Windows AI features like blurring the background of a photo, erasing objects, or even summarizing content from Office files.
Microsoft is also planning to test similar AI actions for Office files soon, enabling you to summarize documents stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, or quickly create AI-generated lists from files.
These Office AI actions will be limited to Microsoft 365 commercial subscribers with a Copilot license, and consumer support is “coming later.” It’s not clear if these AI actions can be disabled in the context menu, but they also join an “Ask Copilot” option that Microsoft added to the right-click menu of the File Explorer recently.
Alongside the AI-powered shortcuts in File Explorer, Microsoft is also testing some visual changes to the widgets feature in Windows 11, “with a more organized, personalized, and engaging feed,” according to the Windows Insider team.
Microsoft is beginning to incorporate AI actions, or shortcuts, into Windows 11’s File Explorer. You can quickly access Windows AI features like blurring a photo’s background, removing objects, or even summarizing content from Office files by using these shortcuts when you right-click on a file.
With the most recent Dev Channel builds of Windows 11, four image actions are being tested: the remove background option in Paint, the blur background and erase objects features in the Photos app, and Bing visual search to locate similar images online.
Similar AI actions for Office files will soon be tested by Microsoft as well, allowing you to quickly generate AI-generated lists from files or summarize documents stored in OneDrive or SharePoint. Only Microsoft 365 commercial subscribers with a Copilot license will be able to use these Office AI features; customer support is “coming later.”. “”.
Microsoft recently added an “Ask Copilot” option to the File Explorer’s right-click menu, but it’s unclear if these AI actions can be turned off in the context menu.
According to the Windows Insider team, Microsoft is testing some visual changes to the widgets feature in Windows 11 in addition to the AI-powered shortcuts in File Explorer, “with a more organized, personalized, and engaging feed.”. Furthermore, Copilot-curated stories will now be included in the feed. “”.
Also included in this most recent Dev Channel build is a new feature called “User Interaction-Aware CPU Power Management,” which Microsoft describes as an OS-level modification to lower laptop and tablet power consumption. “Windows now automatically applies efficient power management policies to conserve power after a period of inactivity on your PC,” the Windows Insider team claims. “This occurs smoothly to conserve energy while you’re not using it, and as soon as you return to it, full functionality is restored. “”.
