There is a dedicated Copilot key on my ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED. Months after buying the laptop, it may be one of the least important keys on the entire keyboard. My Zenbook UM3406 runs on AMD’s Ryzen AI 300 series processor, complete with a dedicated NPU offering up to 50 TOPS of AI performance. That qualifies it as a Copilot+ PC, which makes it a part of what Microsoft once described as the new era for Windows.
AI is already a regular part of my workday. I use it for research, brainstorming, and working through ideas. But rather than relying on something built into the Windows OS, I’ve relied on the likes of ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.
How Copilot+ created the wrong expectation
Live Caption Microsoft
The name “Copilot+ PC” implies a computer built around Microsoft Copilot. In practice, the certification mostly describes the hardware and local Windows features. The NPU inside my Zenbook can accelerate experiences such as Windows Studio Effects, Live Captions, improved search, and Recall. The Copilot chatbot itself requires an internet connection. So you can basically run it on even Macs and web browsers, and not just Windows PCs. Pressing the special keyboard button does not open an assistant powered by the entire 50TOPS NPU sitting inside my laptop.
The entire marketing around this has been poorly communicating what Copilot was meant to do. Microsoft marketed Copilot+ PCs around a grand reinvention of personal computing, with local AI changing how we use Windows systems in daily workflows. The NPU is there, and the badge on the machine proves that it’s capable of the various AI menus in Windows. But very few of them address a problem I regularly encounter.
Quick commands on Windows 11 Recall Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
Recall is probably the most useful out of the bunch. It can save snapshots of your activity and help you recover something you previously saw. If you’re constantly dealing with a large number of important files or conversations, this can be a lifesaver. Even then, I have yet to need it badly enough to let Windows build a searchable history of my screen. Live Captions and Studio Effects are also useful in the right circumstances. Though they remain occasional utilities rather than reasons to rethink how I use my notebook.
Other AI services were just more convenient
I already know where I need to go for my workflows. ChatGPT is usually a starting point for broad research and working through ideas, while Claude enters the picture when I’m dealing with longer passages. Each service has their limitiations though, and yet, they are all familiar with their answers now.
Copilot quite literally came bundled with my PC, and up until recently, I never gave it a real shot. After trying it out now, I can see why I initially brushed it off. Microsoft uses the Copilot name across several different products, including its consumer assistant, Microsoft 365 Copilot, GitHub Copilot, and various Windows integrations. Knowing which Copilot does what can require more effort than opening the tool I already trust.
Microsoft reorganized its Copilot teams this year to create a more coherent experience across consumer and commercial products. That move alone suggests the current structure has become difficult to explain.
Microsoft
Putting Copilot everywhere did not make it essential
Microsoft tried to solve the adoption problem through visibility. Copilot appeared everywhere, in Windows, Edge, Office, Paint, Notepad, and other parts of the operating system. PC keyboards gained a dedicated key for the first time in decades.
Microsoft has since started removing or reducing some of those entry points. Even Microsoft’s hardware partners have acknowledged the disconnect. Dell said consumers were buying newer laptops for tangible improvements such as performance and battery life, while AI terminology often left them confused. This is also one of the reasons I picked my laptop. A gorgeous OLED display, thin-and-light design, and reliable battery life.
Even those who tried it find it hard to stick with
After I covered Copilot’s low uptake, an author emailed me about his own experience. He had used the service extensively while writing a book, yet updates and policy changes sometimes caused it to reject tasks it had previously completed. He said he now opens Copilot with one question in mind: “Will it or won’t it?”
Click to Do feature in Windows 11. Microsoft
To be fair, generative AI services change constantly, and refusals can happen across Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. However, Copilot carries an additional burden because Microsoft presents it as an integrated productivity assistant. This means that users expect consistency from a tool built directly into their operating system and work software.
Is this really futureproof?
I do not regret buying the Zenbook. It is a capable laptop, and the NPU may become increasingly useful as more applications run AI workloads locally. Copilot+ certification also provides some reassurance that the machine meets Microsoft’s current baseline for upcoming Windows features. But that just makes it sound like futureproofing rather than being handy right now.
And Microsoft might just move the baseline higher as systems get more advanced and requirements grow. So for now, I will continue using the AI tools that already fit my workflow. Though I’ll be giving Copilot a try more often to see where it really makes a difference for me.
