Microsoft gives Copilot access to your local files and control of Windows

Microsoft wants its AI assistant to stop just talking about your computer and start operating it. At its Windows and Surface event on October 7, 2026, the company showed off a Copilot upgrade that will let the assistant reach into local files on your PC and carry out actions across the operating system. The upgrade falls under a concept Microsoft is calling “Hybrid Intelligence.” Under this approach, apps and tools draw on a blend of AI models: some running on the device itself, others running in the cloud, with the goal of finishing tasks efficiently. Taxes, accountants, and an AI that reads your inbox Jacob Andreou, Microsoft’s EVP of Copilot, handled the on-stage pitch. He walked the audience through a video demo built around a task few people enjoy: filing taxes. In the demo, Andreou told Microsoft’s Autopilot tool that he had received an email from his accountant. He then asked the agent to help get her what she was requesting. Built on a year of previews, and a new laptop In 2025, Microsoft put Copilot Actions into experimental preview for Windows Insiders, the company’s early-access testing group, with features covering local file operations and local file search. Andreou’s ...