Microsoft is improving its best feature for Copilot+ PCs – and that gives me hope for the future of AI in Windows 11 (www.techradar.com)

Microsoft rolled out a Beta preview (build 26120.6780) that expands the AI agent in Windows 11’s Settings—but only for Copilot+ PCs. The update increases the number of suggestions returned for setting searches, surfaces related options and recently used settings on the Settings home panel, and informs you when an action can’t be performed (for example, if brightness or volume is already at max) while still presenting the relevant controls. The release also adds UI polish: Click-to-Do now highlights AI-actionable elements like emails and tables, and the Run dialog finally respects dark mode. The changes matter because they show Microsoft doubling down on on-device, agent-driven UX improvements rather than novelty features. Relevancy and quick access to recent settings make the agent genuinely useful—especially for less technical users—and signal that smarter search/intent handling is central to Microsoft’s AI strategy. The limitation is hardware: these features require Copilot+ NPUs for local acceleration, so traditional Windows 11 PCs won’t benefit. Expect more agent extensions (Windows AI Labs is already under way), with potential expansion into other shells like Start, but widespread availability will hinge on hardware adoption and further on-device model tooling.