Windows 11 may be getting Copilot Pro ads, or at least it looks like this possibility is being explored in testing right now.
Copilot Pro, for those who missed it, was recently revealed as the upgraded version of Microsoft's AI assistant that you have to pay for (via a monthly subscription). And if you haven't heard of it, you might soon via the Settings panel in Windows 11.
PhantomOfEarth on X (formerly Twitter) spotted Microsoft's new move, introducing a card for Copilot Pro on the home page of the Settings app. It provides a brief explanation of what the service is along with links to learn more (or to get a subscription at that time).
It appears that a Copilot Pro subscription card is being added to the Settings home page, as well as a section for Copilot Pro in the Accounts settings that displays billing information. Hidden in the latest Dev and Beta versions. pic.twitter.com/XRS3gRlSfJFebruary 2, 2024
Note that the leaker had to do some digging to discover the Copilot Pro ad, and it was only shown after playing with a configuration tool (in the Dev and Beta versions). However, two other Windows 11 testers on the Beta channel responded saying that they have this Copilot Pro card present without doing anything.
In other words, taking those reports at face value, it looks like this Copilot Pro announcement is in some kind of limited release for some testers. In any case, it is certainly present in the background of Windows 11 (Beta and Dev) and can be enabled.
Analysis: Add more ads
The theory, then, is that this will appear more broadly to testers, before rolling it out to everyone using Windows 11. Of course, ideas in testing can be abandoned, especially if they receive a lot of criticism, so simply You have to watch this space (or rather, the space on the Settings home page).
Does it seem likely that Microsoft will try to move forward with a Copilot Pro announcement? Yes, it is, frankly. Microsoft has no qualms about promoting its own services within its products, that's for sure. Additionally, AI will become a big part of the Windows 11 experience and other Microsoft products, so monetizing it will likely be a priority.
Therefore, a push to raise the profile of the paid version of Copilot seems likely, if not inevitable. We guess it's better that it's hidden in Settings than somewhere more direct like the Start menu.
If you're wondering what benefits Copilot Pro confers, they include faster performance and responses, along with more customization and options, but this shouldn't take anything away from the free version of Copilot (or it doesn't yet, anyway). What it does mean is that the latest updates will likely be reserved for Pro AI, as we initially saw with GPT-4 Turbo coming to Copilot Pro and not the free basic Copilot.
Via Neowin
You might also like…
