AI features worth using in Windows 11

Windows 11 has quietly added a layer of artificial intelligence that is very useful to users. Here it is Available AI features, worth using on Windows 11 that you should not miss.

Microsoft has clearly positioned artificial intelligence (AI) as fundamental to the future of Windows, and Windows 11’s 2026 AI update marks an important milestone in that transition. Modern Windows computers—especially Copilot+ computers—now feature a neural processing unit (NPU) that accelerates AI tasks directly on the device. This change enables faster, more efficient operating system performance and stronger security by allowing many AI features to run locally instead of completely relying on cloud servers.

As a result, advanced capabilities like Windows Copilot, AI Explorer, and Microsoft Recall operate smoother, are more responsive, and remain available even when internet connectivity is limited. Windows 11 is no longer just an operating system—it has become an AI-powered productivity platform that anticipates user needs and reduces the pain of everyday work.

AI assistant – Copilot

Copilot sits at the heart of the Windows 11 AI experience. Think of it as a system-level assistant that can answer questions, summarize documents, generate text, suggest ideas, and even guide you through tasks. You can ask it to draft emails, summarize PDFs, plan projects, or explain complex topics. It can do it all without opening a separate app.

In addition to writing and research, Copilot can also help with PC management. You can ask it to adjust settings, help troubleshoot problems, or point you to the right system controls. With recent updates, Copilot can interact by voice with the “Hey Copilot” wake command, making it more like a chat than a search engine.

Copilot Vision enhances support by analyzing what users are viewing. When you share your screen or a specific app, Copilot can make suggestions, explain what you’re seeing, or provide step-by-step instructions for performing a task.

This is especially useful when learning new software, reviewing presentations, or troubleshooting installation problems. This feature can even highlight where to click within the app, turning your computer into a live tutor or just a passive assistant.

Live subtitles and real-time translation

Accessibility is the great thing about AI, the Live Caption feature clearly shows that.

This feature can capture any audio from your computer, whether it’s a YouTube video, a podcast or a live video call, and convert it to text at the top of your screen in real time. This is an essential feature for anyone with hearing loss, but it’s also great for watching videos in a quiet office without headphones.

The real magic lies in the translation feature. Windows can now translate spoken audio from dozens of languages ​​into the language of your choice instantly. If you’re calling a Spanish-speaking colleague, Windows can display English subtitles as they speak. It breaks down language barriers and makes the global digital world smaller and more connected.

Extract text from screenshots

One of the most underrated tools in Windows 11 is the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Snipping Tool. It now has Text Actions, which uses optical character recognition (OCR) to identify text in any screenshot. If you’re viewing a photo of a historical document or a slide in a video, you can take the photo and copy the text immediately to paste into a Word document or email. This saves a lot of time for students and researchers.

The tool also includes Redact, which automatically finds and hides sensitive information, such as email addresses or phone numbers, before you share screenshots with others. This is a smart, simple way to manage information that users previously needed to enter manually or use specialized PDF editors.

Microsoft Recall

Recall is probably one of Windows 11’s most “ambitious” AI features, and also the most personal. Available on Copilot+ computers, it acts as a searchable memory for anything that appears on your screen. It periodically takes photos of user activities and indexes them, so you can later search for things like “the article I read Thursday morning” or “the chart I did last week”…

Of course, Microsoft has also built in significant controls. Everything is on your device; nothing is sent to Microsoft’s servers. You can pause Recall, delete snapshots, exclude specific apps, and protect access with Windows Hello biometric verification. This feature is disabled by default. Essentially, Recall provides the PC with a visual memory, and gives complete control over what it remembers to the user.

Paint Cocreator: Feel free to doodle with AI

With Cocreator (powered by DALL-E), you can describe what you want to draw, and the AI ​​will generate many different art styles for you to choose from. You can start with a sketch and let AI “fill in the blanks“. It will turn a simple doodle into a professional digital painting. This is a great tool for brainstorming visual ideas or creating unique artwork for a project.

Windows Studio Effects

If you regularly participate in video calls, Windows Studio effects may be the most immediately effective AI feature on this list. It’s a set of tools that work silently in the background to help you see and hear better on camera, without the need for a ring light or high-end microphone.

This Ai feature automatically frames you to keep you in the center of the frame even while moving, while Portrait Lighting brightens your face in dark rooms. Eye contact subtly adjusts your gaze so you look like you’re looking straight at the camera instead of looking slightly to the side, a small tweak that makes video calls much more personal. Focus your voice, filter out background noise so your sound comes across clearly.