Microsoft is secretly upgrading your laptop’s settings with a new brain, and it’s not Copilot. The tech giant is enhancing the Settings app with generative AI and a new assistant designed to help users navigate system configurations easily. Currently, to use Settings effectively, you need to know what you’re looking for and where to find it. The search tool is there, but it still requires you to have a general idea of the setting’s name.
Power users can usually navigate this intuitively, but regular users might find themselves lost.
Now, Microsoft is introducing an AI assistant directly integrated into the Settings app to guide you through system setup. This isn’t a chatbot like Copilot; instead, it’s built into the search box of the Settings app itself. You can simply describe the issue or change you want to make, and the AI agent will show you the relevant settings. Even better, it might even automate the changes for you!
Microsoft’s latest AI assistant isn’t just a search tool. It functions more like a personal assistant for your laptop. Although Microsoft previously experimented with similar features through Copilot suggestions, that feature has been abandoned. This new AI agent is now the main feature in Settings.
To use the AI assistant, you’ll need a Copilot+ PC. If you’re eligible, you can open the Settings app and type what you want to do or describe an issue you’re facing. The AI will provide suggestions in real-time as you type. For example, if you’re looking to enable Voice Access, the assistant will suggest the setting and offer an “Apply” button to activate it automatically.
However, it’s not flawless. Sometimes, the assistant struggles to find the relevant setting, and even simple tasks can confuse it.
The AI agent in Settings runs on the Mu model, a small language model (SLM) that operates directly on the device. It doesn’t need an internet connection and uses your laptop’s Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for quick responses. It processes natural language queries at over 100 tokens per second, providing near-instant feedback. While the model is fast, it still isn’t perfect in recognizing specific intents. Microsoft tried using a LoRA-tuned model before, but it was too slow and didn’t meet expectations. The Mu model is faster but was initially less accurate. Microsoft has since improved it by expanding its training data and including hundreds of settings for better performance.
Mu is designed to prioritize commonly accessed settings for faster results. Short queries still go through the traditional search box, while more complex queries benefit from the AI’s assistance.
Currently, the AI agent is only available on Copilot+ PCs and is accessible through the Windows Insider Program. Its official rollout timeline remains uncertain.