If you’ve ever clicked through ten layers of your computer’s Settings menu just to adjust the brightness or switch on voice control, you’re not alone.
Amplify that across your entire team and those small tasks pile up to an amount of time that isn’t insignificant. You probably know exactly how much time that is if you’re the one staff comes to when “something isn’t working right.”
The good news is that Microsoft just made this a lot easier.
A new feature is rolling out to Copilot+ PCs running Windows 11: an AI-powered agent built right into the Settings app. It’s not a separate Copilot window or chatbot. This one lives in the search box itself, waiting for you (or your team) to type in what you need in plain, human language.
No more remembering the exact technical name of a setting. You can just type:
- “Make the screen brighter.”
- “Turn on dark mode.”
- “Enable voice control.”
And it will either take you straight to the right place or make the change for you. Instantly.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting for law firms.
This AI agent works locally – meaning your data doesn’t leave the device. It doesn’t phone home to the cloud. It doesn’t analyze your history or collect usage patterns. It’s small, fast, and secure; three things any managing partner should care about when evaluating new tech.
So why should this matter to your firm?
Because little tech hiccups add up. When a paralegal can’t find how to enable a microphone before a Zoom hearing, or your associate spends 20 minutes trying to adjust display settings before a client call, that’s not just lost time. It’s lost confidence.
With this new AI agent, your team can get what they need without interrupting someone else, opening a support ticket, or digging through outdated instructions. It’s like handing every employee a cheat sheet that is always up to date with all of their computer settings.
And with many people now using Windows 11, where the many of the settings are in different places or have a different look to them over prior versions, it’s likely going to save a lot of people a lot of time.
This isn’t about bells and whistles. It’s about removing the friction from your workday. And that, frankly, is what separates a reactive IT environment from a resilient one.
Now, before you rush to deploy this across your firm, here’s what you should know:
- The AI Settings Agent is currently in preview for Windows Insider Program users on Copilot+ PCs. That means it’s coming, but not quite ready for all machines yet.
- If your firm is planning hardware upgrades or migrating to a more modern device ecosystem, this may be the right time to consider Windows 11 Copilot+ options.
- This feature pairs especially well with environments already integrated with Microsoft 365, which most law firms already rely on for Outlook, SharePoint, and Teams.
Our recommendation?
Start by having a conversation about your end-user experience. How long does it take someone on your team to resolve a basic computer setting? How often does that turn into an IT call or internal frustration? Then ask: what would it be worth to eliminate those disruptions entirely?
Technology doesn’t have to be dazzling. It just has to work. Quietly. Reliably. Securely.
That’s what this new AI tool offers. Not a revolution, but a relief.
And for a profession that runs on deadlines, client trust, and the ability to pivot fast, relief is no small thing.