Windows’ Copilot AI can now read your Gmail and Google Calendar
Image: Microosft/Google
Microsoft really wants you to use Copilot, its branded AI platform. In fact, Microsoft wants you to use Copilot so much that it’s fine if you want to use it on Google services, like Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Calendar. A new Windows Insider update facilitates that. Are you excited? Don’t everybody jump up at once.
According to the Windows Insider Blog, the latest version of the Copilot app on Windows can now connect to Google personal services to scan their contents. A Google account connected can let Copilot search through and analyze (at least) Gmail, Drive, Calendar, and Contacts. You can also use this third-party connection to let it access other Microsoft accounts beyond your primary one, so it can get into OneDrive and Outlook on another account too.
The main idea here is natural language search and analysis. For example, you can ask, “What’s the email address for Sarah,” assuming you only know one Sarah and that Copilot understands the context. But if you’re inclined to do that and you need information that’s in your Google account and not your Microsoft account… why wouldn’t you just use Gemini, which is Google’s flavor of the same thing? It’s available right in the browser, no extra legwork required.
Possibly more useful (and less alarming) is a new document creation tool. The Windows Copilot app can now adapt a conversation into a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, PowerPoint slide deck, or PDF, and export it. Both features are available via the Insider channel on the Microsoft Store, though they might not be turned on right away for all users.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he’s the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop “battlestation” in his off hours. Michael’s previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he’s covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he’s always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.
