We knew Cortana’s days were numbered as soon as Microsoft announced that ChatGPT was being incorporated into Bing. Then again, did anyone remember that the virtual assistant was built into the last two generations of the Windows operating systems?
News that Microsoft did not widely publicize Cortana’s impending doom. Even the assistant’s official webpage doesn’t tell users the news. No, her fate is hidden away on a support page.
August marks the end of Cortana as far as a standalone application. However, the productivity assistant will still live on, for now, in Microsoft Teams and the mobile version of Outlook.
Microsoft isn’t leaving users out in the cold, though:
“We know that this change may affect some of the ways you work in Windows, so we want to help you transition smoothly to the new options. Instead of clicking the Cortana icon and launching the app to begin using voice, now you can use voice and satisfy your productivity needs through different tools.”
The alternatives Microsoft suggests you use in Cortana’s absence are Voice Access, AI-powered Bing, and 365 Copilot. Weird that MS would ditch the virtual assistant and ask users to use multiple programs.
If you have never used Cortana (which wouldn’t surprise me), here are some of the tasks she could do for you:
- Manage your calendar and keep your schedule up to date
- Join a meeting in Microsoft Teams or find out who your next meeting is with
- Create and manage lists
- Set reminders and alarms
- Find facts, definitions, and info
- Open apps on your computer
I honestly cannot recall ever meeting anyone who used these tools. Had MS gone all out and given the app an on-screen presence like the Halo counterpart, it would have gone a long way. Well, it would have at least been a novelty like all those desktop assistants from the 1990s. Oh, how we miss Bonzi Buddy.
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