If you’re a tech enthusiast or someone who just wants to find their files faster, Microsoft‘s latest move might pique your interest. The tech giant has started rolling out an AI-powered search feature for Windows 11, but with a catch – you’ll need one of their new Copilot Plus PCs to give it a whirl.

The update, which was announced back in October, introduces what’s being called “semantic indexing.” This means you can now search for your documents, photos, or spreadsheets in a way that’s more in tune with how you naturally speak or think about your files. Instead of remembering the exact name of a document, you could just type “last month’s report” or “holiday photos from Hawaii,” and let the AI do the heavy lifting.

This AI search isn’t just confined to one part of your system. It works across various search interfaces within Windows 11 – be it the Settings app, File Explorer, or even the taskbar search box. One of the cooler aspects? It doesn’t require an internet connection to function, thanks to the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) in these new Copilot Plus PCs. This on-device processing means your search queries stay local, potentially offering a boost in privacy as well as efficiency.

For now, this feature is somewhat limited. It’s geared towards searching Windows settings and specific file formats like JPEG, PNG, PDF, TXT, and XLS. But Microsoft has plans. The search capabilities are set to expand to include data from cloud services like OneDrive, making your digital life even more interconnected and manageable.

The rollout is being handled in stages, starting with those who have Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs in the Windows Insider Dev Channel. If you’re not on that setup, don’t worry – support for Intel or AMD-based Copilot Plus computers is on the horizon. Additionally, this AI-enhanced search will cater to a multilingual audience, supporting Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish.

Alongside this search enhancement, Microsoft is introducing “Click to Do,” a feature that adds a layer of interactivity to your Windows experience. Imagine you’re working on a document or an email and you need a quick text rewrite or grammar check. With Click to Do, you can press the Windows key, left-click on a block of text, and select “Rewrite.” A new “Refine” option will pop up, ready to polish your prose.

This feature isn’t just about writing; it’s about interacting with content in a way that feels intuitive. It’s like having a digital assistant right on your screen, offering context-aware actions for whatever you’re doing – whether that’s editing text, shopping for something you see in a video, or even just wanting to understand text better.

This update represents Microsoft’s ongoing push towards making computing more user-friendly through AI. By integrating AI not just for search but for everyday tasks, Microsoft is aiming to streamline how we use our computers, reducing the friction of locating files or tweaking content. For users, this means potentially less time spent organizing and more time doing what they love or need to do.