Microsoft has today announced not one but two new Surface devices and a bunch of accessories at a virtual event, but the first part of the presentation focused squarely on how its AI Copilot is getting integrated ever deeper into Windows. It was otherwise a hardware event with some enterprise software dressing, though. That's just how things are in Microsoft these days: Every bit of business has to be given some Copilot angle — even its most straightforward hardware events.

The actual Copilot story Microsoft told here — at length — was mostly a rehash of previously announced updates, customer testimonials and a lot of chatter about how Copilot will make employees happier and more productive by summarizing meetings they didn't attend and documents they didn't read.

"Windows 11 and Windows 365 promise a new era of AI productivity," said Melissa Grant, Microsoft's senior director for Windows Enterprise. "Our goal is to empower employees to work more efficiently and creatively and make the most of their productive time."

How is Microsoft going to do this? By adding a toggle to the Copilot experience on Windows 11 that lets users switch between "Work" and "Web" now.  The Work button brings the capability of Copilot in Microsoft 365 — and the internal company data on which it is powered — inside the Windows interface. That's because the first part of Microsoft's strategy for Copilot is to get it into as many people's hands as possible. Windows, after all, is meant to "deliver technology that puts you on a path to becoming an AI-centered organization," Grant said.

The company is also relying on cloud PCs delivered through Windows 365 as a surface for the Copilot. The app to get to those cloud PCs, as well as Azure Virtual Desktop and Remote Desktop, is the aptly named Windows app. Microsoft now says that Windows App usage has gone over 3 million active hours since it went into preview at the Microsoft Ignite 2023 in November. It's a big number, but it would only take roughly 3,000 or 4,000 users working full-time on cloud PCs during their workdays to get to that since it launched. Microsoft cites Vodafone and Zurich Insurance Group as early adopters.

Microsoft also pointed out that Copilot is now able to run some basic IT functions right within the chat (at least open the correct settings window for you) — something the company had already announced weeks ago. And those Windows 365 cloud PCs? They can now be resized.

And that's pretty much it. Please smash that Copilot button to subscribe.