After announcing its removal a couple of months ago, Microsoft has finally said goodbye to its virtual assistant Cortana. With today’s new advent of artificial intelligence, Microsoft’s new goal is to launch a new assistant that makes use of AI. Nostalgically, the character that was born with Halo and assisted Windows users was removed from the Windows latest version.
According to The Verge, Microsoft released an update for Windows 11 which removed virtual assistant Cortana. The application ceased functionality and association with the Windows operating system. Even though its icon and some tabs remain when selected, the system tells users that Cortona no longer works on their device and leads them to a link with information about the change.
With Cortana’s removal, Microsoft welcomes “Copilot,” which is an assistant powered by artificial intelligence and is connected to the Azure cloud. Reportedly, the American-based company has taken the lead in the artificial intelligence field for both interface and user experience, so the Copilot inclusion in the system will not be turned back.
Before the removal, Microsoft stated that it was making some changes in Windows that would affect users who utilized Cortana. They also told customers that the system would no longer support Cortana in Windows as a standalone app. However, it would still be available in Outlook Mobile, Teams Mobile, Microsoft Teams Display, and Microsoft Teams Rooms.
Unfortunately, the company also announced that Cortana functions will cease to operate in all of the previous Microsoft programs and applications in the fall of this year.