Apparently Windows 11 becoming 'agentic AI' means letting the bots rummage through some of your files

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Thanks, I guess.

Microsoft Copilot
(Image credit: Microsoft)

A few days ago we reported that the president of Windows and devices at Microsoft said "Windows is evolving into an agentic OS." We weren't sure exactly what that meant, though, apart from Windows having some kind of AI functionality baked in that can run autonomously. Well, ponder no more because a new support document explains, and it looks like the changes are already rolling out to Insiders.

The support document explains (via Windows Central) that such "agentic features" include an "experimental feature" called Copilot Actions that allows AI to interact with local files: "With Copilot Actions you have an active digital collaborator that can carry out complex tasks for you to enhance efficiency and productivity."

A user talking to Copilot, asking it to do a Copilot Action with agentic AI in an agent workspace.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft gives some examples of what you might use this for: "Whether you need a hand sorting through your recent vacation photos, organizing your Downloads folder, converting your files, or need to extract info from a PDF, Copilot Actions can do the heavy lifting for you based on the context of what’s on your PC."

As for how well it will perform those tasks? We'll just have to wait and see.

There is also, of course, the question of privacy. It can be disconcerting to think about an AI agent having access to your personal files, but Microsoft says its "commitment is to include robust security and privacy controls that empower customers to explore their potential confidently with the support of clear guidance and appropriate guardrails driven by these goals."

On the privacy front—somewhat distinct from the security front—Microsoft seems to mainly refer to its Privacy Report and Responsible AI Standard, saying Windows will "help agents adhere" to the commitments outlined in these.

While it seems like Microsoft is committed to making the agents transparent and only giving them access to what you explicitly tell them they can access—perhaps learning from the whole Recall debacle—it seems less clear if or how information gleaned from the files you do give them access to will be used.

Will any of this information be used for AI training? Will it be anonymised? It will be interesting to see exactly what limitations Microsoft puts on this new agentic AI.

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Jacob Fox
Jacob Fox
Hardware Writer

Jacob got his hands on a gaming PC for the first time when he was about 12 years old. He swiftly realised the local PC repair store had ripped him off with his build and vowed never to let another soul build his rig again. With this vow, Jacob the hardware junkie was born. Since then, Jacob's led a double-life as part-hardware geek, part-philosophy nerd, first working as a Hardware Writer for PCGamesN in 2020, then working towards a PhD in Philosophy for a few years while freelancing on the side for sites such as TechRadar, Pocket-lint, and yours truly, PC Gamer. Eventually, he gave up the ruthless mercenary life to join the world's #1 PC Gaming site full-time. It's definitely not an ego thing, he assures us.

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