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Microsoft unveiled its Copilot AI in 2023 and launched Copilot+ PCs in June of this year. Despite the company’s ambition to make Copilot the default generative AI to assist its users, the average Windows user may not even know what Copilot is.

While anyone can access Copilot through Microsoft Edge on Windows 10, the dedicated Copilot app is only available on Windows 11 (and only on compatible devices). If mass adoption is the goal, Microsoft needs to make this AI app available on all current Windows devices.

Windows 10 still has a huge user base

Windows 11 has been around since 2021, so users have had plenty of time to upgrade to Microsoft’s latest operating system. However, many have waited to upgrade their computers, with reasons for sticking with Windows 10 ranging from a lack of new features to unsupported hardware.

According to StatCounter, users running Windows 10 will still account for more than 68% of the market in May 2024, compared to 27% for Windows 11. The operating system’s massive reach means millions of users are missing out on Copilot.

Copilot+ PCs require chips with AI processing capabilities (i.e. an AI PC), meaning even computers purchased just last year won’t be able to run all of Copilot’s features on the device. To ensure Windows 10 users can join in, Microsoft will need to upgrade its data centers to meet AI processing requirements.

While this may be a huge expense for Microsoft, it’s a worthwhile investment. If Microsoft can make Copilot as ubiquitous as the Start menu, it would massively increase adoption and even encourage more people to upgrade sooner rather than later.

Copilot on Windows 10 will introduce more people to AI PCs

If Microsoft can make Copilot available to Windows 10’s huge user base, even with limited features, it could be an easy way to make Copilot synonymous with Windows.

Even a simple keyboard shortcut, similar to the Copilot key, to help launch the software can make a big difference. This convenience means they will likely choose Copilot for their AI needs to avoid the extra steps, such as going to the OpenAI website to access ChatGPT or even opening Microsoft Edge to find the Copilot icon.

As Windows 10 users become more accustomed to the idea of ​​having an AI companion on their computer, they will be more likely to accept its more integrated existence on their PC. This could be similar to Apple Intelligence – one of the best features Apple will introduce with macOS Sequoia. However, if Microsoft adds Copilot+ functionality to all newer Windows PCs, it shouldn’t skimp on privacy and security in the process, similar to the backwards step the company had to take with the controversial Recall feature.

It will make the transition to Windows 12 much easier

The launch of Copilot+ PCs in June 2024 showcases the future of Windows: generative AI capabilities built into the operating system and multiple apps, so giving Windows 10 users a taste of the future will likely make the move to Windows 12 more palatable.

This could help Microsoft avoid the same problems it continues to face with the launch of Windows 11, which languishes at less than 30% of the Windows PC market share three years after launch. Additionally, Apple is rolling out its version of AI to all Apple Silicon MacBooks, meaning many users will get this feature retroactively. If Windows 10 users miss out on AI features, Apple intelligence could mean they just get a MacBook instead.

What would Copilot look like on Windows 10?

Microsoft should make sure that Copilot looks and works the same on Windows 10 as it does on Windows 11. Granted, some features won’t be available on less powerful computers, but the company could simply move that processing to its data centers. While that will be slower, it could at least give Windows 10 users a preview of Copilot’s capabilities.

Microsoft offers many Copilot apps, but Copilot in Windows 11 is probably the most important. Because it will introduce users who aren’t necessarily looking for an AI chatbot and show them how useful these things could be. Microsoft could then accelerate the adoption of this tool by adding some (or even all) of its features to Windows 10 to ensure a successful future for its AI tool.