Microsoft brings Windows’ ‘AI actions’ to third-party apps

Microsoft has become somewhat infamous for its enormous context menu in Windows File Explorer. But the company is adding even more options and, interestingly, to apps and services that it doesn’t even own.

Depending on whether you have a Copilot+ PC or not, Microsoft has added “AI actions” to File Explorer, such as background removal and object erasing. These new options are open to all Windows 11 users and are part of Microsoft’s new definition of an “AI PC”, designed as something accessible to everyone.

Currently, they are limited to just three services: Manus, an AI application, Filmora, which provides video editing services, and Zoom, the popular video conferencing app that competes with Microsoft’s Teams app.

Manus (no relation to The hands of destiny) is a good alternative to ChatGPT, Claude or Google Gemini. Although you can download it as a native Windows application, it is essentially a web service specialized in deep searching. Microsoft currently uses it as a website builder, which is a very specialized function.

Microsoft

Microsoft is adding what it calls an “AI Action” in Windows, which lets you right-click a document in File Explorer and “create a website with Manus.” Although the company’s example suggests that you can only use a single document to create a site, it also suggests using the app to upload a series of photos to illustrate it. (It’s unclear whether you can just highlight all files at once.) Right now, this experience is in private preview, according to Microsoft.

Microsoft also lets you start editing a file with Filmora, most likely a video file.

Finally, Microsoft added the ability to schedule a Zoom meeting simply by highlighting a group of email addresses. This action will schedule the meeting, Microsoft says. The only problem is that this particular feature is limited to Copilot+ PCs, executives said, without saying why.