Microsoft Copilot not likely to make European consumer debut before March

Digital Markets Act compliance cited as reason for delay

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CES saw a range of new PCs enter the market with a dedicated key for Copilot. However consumers in the EU won’t be getting the benefits of Microsoft’s helper AI European Union (EU) was excluded for now because of the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The EU added Microsoft Windows along with 22 other services to the so-called gatekeeper list. These are companies with a monopoly, so they are being scrutinised.

“We’re working on an ambitious timeline to bring Copilot for Windows to the European Union in full compliance with the DMA,” Microsoft promised, but it’s not clear if Europe will soon get limited updated version. Perhaps the EU objects to having a specific solution forced on users. After all, Copilot provides access to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, in which Microsoft has a stake. The Copilot key will not be part of the certification of Windows devices, at least not at this time. That is, manufacturers who may be forced to integrate the button into their laptops or PCs.

Users actually already have access to Copilot in the Edge browser, but the little helper should soon guide users through a variety of tasks. One new feature is called ‘Add a screenshot’. The name refers to the ability to present Copilot with a screenshot. After you upload an image, you will also be able to ask questions about it.

Microsoft considers Copilot so important that in Insider Preview versions of Windows 11, Copilot is automatically launched on startup for some users. Day is not universally appreciated, and it may be an open goal for competing AI parties to raise the alarm. Directly below the toggle button to have Copilot launch immediately does already include a menu option to choose another chat provider.

Users already have a hard time getting around CoPilot. The mobile Edge browser has already been renamed AI Browser and there are Copilot apps for iOS and Android. It is basically a replacement for the Bing Chat application.

Microsoft is also coming out with a paid version of the AI assistant Copilot. References to a ‘Copilot Pro’ had already been found in code from Android’s Microsoft Edge Canary app.

Users paying $20 a month will get access to the latest AI models, priority for quick replies and higher quality images to create.

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