Technologies

Windows Copilot Puts AI in the Heart of Microsoft’s Most Important Software

Some of the most important screen real estate in the world is getting a chatbot that can adjust PC settings, perform searches and suggest music.

With a tool called Windows Copilot, Microsoft has begun building an AI chat interface straight into its single most important software product, the company said Tuesday. The tool will perform tasks like summarizing documents, suggesting music, offering tech support for your PC and answering questions you might ask a search engine or AI chatbot.

This newest of Microsoft’s AI tools is scheduled to arrive in a preview version of Windows via an icon in the task bar that looks like a loop of blue ribbon. Clicking it opens a chat interface sidebar where you can type questions or prompts like «enable dark mode» and click buttons to take actions. Microsoft will begin testing the feature in June, said Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s marketing chief for consumer products.

It’s a major new step in Microsoft’s embrace of artificial intelligence technology. Previously the company had built AI into its Bing search engine and Edge web browser, but Windows is used by millions more people and for many more hours a day.

«We are bringing the Copilot to the biggest canvas of all, Windows,» CEO Satya Nadella said at the company’s Microsoft Build developer conference. The arrival of AI chat interfaces is as important to computing progress as other major moments, like the arrival of the internet or the iPhone, he said.

And the change reflects a growing seriousness in modern AI. Google has begun building AI directly into search, Gmail, Docs and other key services used by billions of people. Adobe on Tuesday released a beta version of Photoshop that uses AI to generate new imagery. AI remains experimental, but no longer is AI on the periphery of the world’s biggest tech products.

Watch this: See Everything Announced at Microsoft Build 2023

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Microsoft also is building its Copilot technology into its Office suite of productivity tools.

Google has taken a different approach with its AI, restricting its more freewheeling chatbot technology to its Bard chatbot and adding more factual, literal tools to search, Gmail and other mainstream tools.

Mehdi thinks that’s a mistake, though. Indeed, he hopes Google keeps the functions separate because that’ll help Microsoft’s prospects, he said.

«Customers have told us they’re not a separate thing. They think it’s all integrated,» Mehdi said in an interview. «The ability to be able to ask any question from where you are, to get searchlike answers, that’s a powerful thing for customers.»

He’s also excited to see it help with a profound user interface problem common in the tech world: helping nonexperts just figure out how to do useful things like snap an app window to one side of their laptop’s screen.

«The number one feature of Windows that people have loved is snap. Even then, people still have trouble knowing how to do it,» Mehdi said. «But if you can now say, ‘Hey, snap a couple of windows for me,’ and the PC can do it, that’s a massive unlock for people.»

Microsoft added AI-boosted search results and an AI chatbot to its Bing search engine in February. It relies on OpenAI, an artificial intelligence powerhouse in which Microsoft has invested, for the core language processing technology. Thanks in part to the feature, Bing usage crossed the threshold of 100 million people per day, Mehdi said, though he wouldn’t reveal the pace of the growth.

Also at Build, Microsoft announced it’s making plugin technology available to Bing and Windows Copilot so developers can integrate their own software. That’ll let you tap into those apps using Microsoft’s AI interfaces.

And Microsoft announced that OpenAI is using Bing search engine data to help improve its ChatGPT chatbot. Search engines can be used to «ground» generative AI tools that can often make up incorrect information.

Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to create some personal finance explainers that are edited and fact-checked by our editors. For more, see this post.

Watch this: Windows 11 Gets AI Copilot

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Technologies

We May Know What the Next Nintendo Switch 2 Pokemon Game Will Be Called

A massive leak reveals potential details about the 10th generation of Pokemon games coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, including big changes.

A new Pokemon game, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, will be released for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on Thursday, but a recent leak might have revealed info about what’s coming next from the creators of the franchise. The names of the next games headed to the Switch 2, as well as some of the big changes to the Pokemon formula, may have been part of the leak.

The leak showed up on X Monday from the account Centro Leaks, as first spotted by Insider Gaming. Data about the upcoming games reportedly stems from a hack of the servers of the franchise developer Game Freak that happened in August 2024, referred to online as the Teraleak, that included the source code for the upcoming Pokemon Legenda: Z-A.

Among the information shared by the account was the possible name for what would be the 10th generation of Pokemon games that would come to the Switch 2 next year: Pokemon Wind and Pokemon Wave.

The Pokemon Company didn’t immediately respond to a request for confirmation about this leak.

Pokémon Gen 10:
Pokémon Wind and Pokémon Waves
Theme: Infinity
Directed by Shigeru Ohmori

— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) October 13, 2025

According to the leak, Pokemon Wind/Wave is inspired by the Southeast Asia region and will feature a jungle-themed environment. It could also feature a new mechanic referred to as a Seed Pokemon, which is reportedly a special Pokemon that is heavily involved in the story and must be raised by the player. As it evolves, it will have a unique look that is procedurally generated, and once it’s fully evolved, it will allow the player to gain access to an island where they can find the main legendary Pokemon of the game.

The main theme of Pokemon Wind/Wave is the concept of infinity, according to the leak. This would match with the reported focus of procedurally generated content, not only with the special Seed Pokemon, but also with the islands of the game being procedurally generated, so each game is unique and could continue to grow with no end.

Also included in the leak were other details, including Pokemon on the overworld being interactable, weather affecting gameplay in some way, 18 new challenges for players instead of traditional gyms, and a few screenshots of the game in development that are still available to see at the PokeLeaks subreddit. There was also info that the 11th-generation Pokemon game could be released in 2030.

It is unlikely that Nintendo, The Pokemon Company or Game Freak will confirm the details of the leak. Expect to see the official announcement early next year, with the fall being the most likely release window for Pokemon Wind/Wave.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Oct. 15

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 15.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It includes both the first and last name of one of my favorite chefs of all time — maybe yours, too. Read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Chromebooks, but not MacBooks
Answer: PCS

4A clue: «Yippee!»
Answer: WAHOO

6A clue: Reveal, as juicy gossip
Answer: SPILL

7A clue: With 2-Down, chef who helped popularize chicken cordon bleu in the U.S.
Answer: JULIA

8A clue: Toss in
Answer: ADD

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Toss in
Answer: PAPUA

2D clue: See 7-Across
Answer: CHILD

3D clue: State of matter for most elements at room temperature
Answer: SOLID

4D clue: Business-focused newspaper, for short
Answer: WSJ

5D clue: Hello, in Portuguese
Answer: OLA

Technologies

Want to Watch a Podcast? Netflix and Spotify Partner to Bring Video Podcasts to Streaming

Starting in early 2026, Netflix subscribers in the US will be able to watch select Spotify Studios and Ringer podcasts directly on the streaming platform.

Netflix and Spotify are teaming up to blur the line between streaming and podcasting. The two companies announced a new partnership that will bring a curated slate of Spotify’s top video podcasts, including shows from Spotify Studios and The Ringer, to Netflix starting in early 2026. The goal is to make popular podcasts as watchable as TV, expanding both services’ reach into sports, culture, lifestyle and true crime.

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The deal marks Spotify’s most significant distribution push beyond its own platform, and for Netflix, it’s a new way to keep audiences engaged with talk-driven, low-cost programming. Early titles include The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Rewatchables, Dissect, Conspiracy Theories and Serial Killers, among others. You can find the complete list here.

More shows and genres are expected to be added over time.

Netflix says the partnership complements its library of documentaries and talk shows, offering «fresh voices and new perspectives.» Spotify, meanwhile, described it as «a new chapter for podcasting,» giving creators access to Netflix’s global audience while expanding discovery for listeners who prefer watching podcasts.

The rollout will begin in the US early next year, with additional markets to follow in 2026.