Cortana, Microsoft’s virtual assistant that debuted in Windows 10, will stop working in Windows 11 immediately. The company has announced this on its support page, explaining that Cortana will no longer be available as a standalone app on Windows. Still, it will be integrated into other productivity tools such as Outlook, Teams or Bing.
The rise and fall of personal assistants
Microsoft has decided to withdraw support for Cortana in Windows because it has developed other more advanced and efficient artificial intelligence solutions. One of them is the Windows Copilot, a new intelligent assistant based on ChatGPT technology capable of answering more complex and personalized queries. However, the Redmond giant has cut its losses instead of taking advantage of the Cortana integration or application.
Windows Copilot is expected to arrive this fall, coinciding with the release of Windows 11 version 23H2, the second major update of the new operating system. According to Microsoft, with Windows Copilot, we can do most of the things that Cortana did and even more.
However, this does not mean that Cortana will disappear completely. The virtual assistant will continue to be present in the mobile applications of Outlook and Teams, as well as Microsoft Teams display devices and Microsoft Teams rooms. These versions of Cortana will focus on helping users improve their productivity and collaboration.
Cortana gives way to Windows Copilot.
Microsoft has ensured that this change will only affect Cortana on Windows and will not have any impact on the other operating system functions. In addition, the company has promised to help users make a smooth transition towards new artificial intelligence options.
To this end, Microsoft has published a series of resources and information on using Windows Copilot and other voice tools in Windows 11. It has also indicated that users can still access Cortana until they receive the update that disables it, which could be between August and September.
Microsoft has made this decision after several years of trying, vaguely, to position Cortana as an alternative to other virtual assistants such as Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant. However, Cortana never achieved the same success or acceptance by the public. With Windows Copilot, Microsoft hopes to deliver a more innovative and convenient experience for Windows 11 users.
