Microsoft's Copilot Vision available for some Edge users as a test

A few months ago, Microsoft announced that Windows was joining the AI ​​bandwagon, but in a somewhat bumpy way. The company introduced features like Recall that raised serious privacy and security concerns. Since then, the company has taken a cautious approach to new AI features it rolls out. Copilot Vision, one of the features Microsoft teased months ago, is finally reaching some users in test form.

Microsoft takes cautious approach to Copilot Vision after Recall controversy

If you’re unaware, Copilot Vision functions as an assistant that observes your web browsing and responds to your questions in conversational language. In line with Microsoft’s current cautious approach to AI-powered features in Windows, Copilot Vision has multiple limitations in the interest of privacy. For example, it’s only available in the Edge browser and on “a select set of websites.” It also works entirely offline.

Even initial testing seems limited to a small segment of users. Copilot Vision is currently available for select US subscribers to Copilot Pro. Plus, it is an “opt-in and ephemeral” feature, according to the brand. That means it’s not enabled by default, and Copilot Vision sessions are deleted as soon as you end the session.

Microsoft also clarifies that the feature does not use the analyzed data to train any AI. This makes sense considering that sessions are ephemeral and on-device. Additionally, data analysis is limited to text and images on Vision-enabled websites. Microsoft had been much less careful back in the day with Windows Recall, not even using encryption for the content captured by the feature, for example. Considering that Recall permanently monitors your use of your PC, it was an inherent security risk.

Enrollment for early testing open

If you meet the requirements, you can try to get a spot among Copilot Vision’s early testers. For reference, a subscription to the Copilot Pro plan costs $20 in the United States. You can request access to the feature from the Copilot Labs hub. Lastly, Microsoft shared a short demo video that sums up Vision’s capabilities in less than 40 seconds: