Agent Workspace: Windows becomes a Copilot automation tool

Microsoft's Copilot app is set to become significantly more powerful. With “Copilot Actions,” the AI assistant can solve more complex tasks. It will do this on an “Agent Workspace” within Windows.

The Insider preview announcement of the Copilot app explains Microsoft exemplifies the tasks that AI agents are intended to perform. “Describe the task to be performed in your words, and the agent will try to solve it,” write the Redmond developers. To achieve this, the AI agent interacts with the desktop and web apps in an isolated environment, separate from the interactive user session. “Whether you need help sorting your holiday photos or your download folder, want to convert files, or extract information from a PDF, Copilot Actions can take on the heavy lifting,” Microsoft advertises the AI function.

This turns Windows into the interface for an automated AI system. In a Microsoft discusses the experimental feature in a blog post, Microsoft discusses the experimental function: An Agent Workspace is a separate, isolated space in Windows where interested parties can grant AI agents access to apps and files, allowing them to perform tasks in the background while the computer remains usable normally. “Each agent works with its account, which differs from the user account,” Microsoft explains, “dedicated agent access ensures a clear separation between agent activities and your own, enabling task-specific authorization and runtime isolation.”

Isolated Windows Sessions

Microsoft further explains: “This allows tasks to be delegated to agents while maintaining full control, visibility of agent actions, and the ability to manage access at any time.” Agents typically receive access to known folders or specific shared folders. This is reflected in the folder access control settings. Each agent receives its workspace with its permissions. Over time, Windows is expected to offer different types of workspaces with different capabilities.

The initial preview version runs in a separate Windows session, allowing agents to work with apps in parallel to logged-in users. In general, this is a more efficient solution than full virtual machines like Windows Sandbox, while still providing isolation for security, supporting parallel execution, and enabling user control. However, the “user experience” and security model are still subject to refinement.

In the Insider preview announcement, Microsoft explains that interested parties should select “Take Action” from the dropdown menu in the composer area. Access to files or folders is granted by selecting “Attach File” or “Attach Folder” under the “+” button. Copilot then takes a moment to create a desktop and begins working on the task. The feature is available for testing from Copilot app version 1.25112.74 in the Insider channels -- however, not in the European Economic Area, like many early AI features.

The feature is part of the long line of AI additions that Microsoft is presenting at Ignite 2025.

(dmk)