# Microsoft Copilot Labs: A Platform for Testing Innovative AI Solutions
Microsoft has consistently led the charge in incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into its range of products, and its latest venture, **Copilot Labs**, embodies this commitment. Created as a platform for testing Microsoft’s advanced AI solutions, Copilot Labs provides users with an early look at “work-in-progress” projects ahead of their official launch. This effort enables Microsoft to collect user feedback, enhance features, and ensure that its AI offerings are effective and ethically sound. Currently, two standout features being trialed in Copilot Labs are **Think Deeper** and **Copilot Vision**.
## Think Deeper: Addressing Complicated Issues with AI
The inaugural feature unveiled in Copilot Labs is **Think Deeper**, crafted to tackle more complicated issues than the conventional Copilot AI. Think Deeper employs a systematic reasoning framework to dissect and resolve intricate tasks, making it particularly suitable for situations that demand more than basic comprehension.
Think Deeper serves as Microsoft’s interpretation of OpenAI’s **o1-preview** and **o1-mini** AI models, recognized for their superior reasoning abilities. These models aim to manage problems with a more logical and methodical approach, enabling them to confront challenges that less sophisticated AI models may find difficult. Currently, Think Deeper is available to a limited audience of **Copilot Pro** users in **Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US**.
By presenting this feature in Copilot Labs, Microsoft seeks to obtain crucial insights into user interaction with the tool and identify potential improvements. The organization intends for Think Deeper to boost productivity by offering more precise and thorough solutions to challenging problems.
## Copilot Vision: A Visual Perspective Into Your Browser
While Think Deeper emphasizes reasoning, **Copilot Vision** adopts a different strategy by providing the AI assistant with a visual comprehension of the user’s actions within the **Microsoft Edge** browser. Once activated, Copilot Vision can “observe” the webpage currently being viewed and deliver contextually pertinent answers to queries regarding its content.
For instance, when engaging with an article or navigating a site, Copilot Vision can assist in summarizing the details, respond to direct inquiries, or aid with tasks related to the information on the page. This feature is designed to foster more natural and intuitive interactions with the AI, moving away from conventional text-based queries.
Nevertheless, Copilot Vision’s capability to “view” user actions brings about potential **privacy issues**. Microsoft acknowledges this and has implemented measures to address these concerns. The company highlights that Copilot Vision is completely **opt-in**, meaning users must actively choose to activate the feature. Furthermore, Microsoft has reassured users that no **audio, images, text, or conversations** from Vision will be saved or utilized for AI training purposes. To enhance user privacy further, Vision is initially restricted to a **pre-approved collection of websites**, and it is prohibited on paywalled or sensitive information sites.
## Weighing Innovation Against Responsibility
Microsoft is adopting a careful strategy in rolling out these new features. The organization has communicated its desire to strike a balance between “innovative features and a profound sense of responsibility.” This sentiment mirrors a broader movement within the technology sector, where companies are increasingly cognizant of the ethical and privacy implications associated with AI technologies.
As part of this cautious strategy, Microsoft has yet to announce a specific timeline for the broader rollout of Think Deeper or Copilot Vision. Instead, the focus remains on soliciting feedback from initial users and making necessary refinements. Microsoft has also stressed its commitment to “listening attentively” to user feedback and suggestions as it continues to enhance these tools.
## Copilot as a “Constant Companion”
In a discussion with **Reuters**, **Mustafa Suleyman**, the head of Microsoft AI, portrayed Copilot as a “constant companion” that could potentially learn from users’ activities across various Microsoft-connected devices and documents — but only with the user’s consent. This outlook on Copilot envisions a future where AI assistants are thoroughly intertwined in users’ digital journeys, assisting with everything from email management to task organization.
Notably, Microsoft co-founder **Bill Gates** has expressed particular enthusiasm for Copilot’s ability to interpret and analyze emails, a functionality that could significantly enhance communication and efficiency for users.
## Privacy Issues: A Complex Dilemma
Although the prospective advantages of Copilot are evident, considerable **privacy revelations** remain. Microsoft’s earlier AI feature, **Windows Recall**, which maintained a record of all user actions on their PCs to allow an AI model to remember them later, evoked a “visceral reaction” from privacy-aware individuals. Many felt uneasy about the concept of an AI assistant surveilling their actions, especially if that information was transmitted to the cloud for processing.
These anxieties are bound to resurface with the launch of Copilot Vision, despite Microsoft’s promises regarding privacy safeguards.
