How to Use Microsoft’s New AI-Powered Copy-and-Paste Tool

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Microsoft is updating its Windows copy and paste feature with the addition of an Advanced Paste tool that incorporates artificial intelligence. This tool is available through the free PowerToys utility and allows users to choose the format for pasted text and even offers AI powers to summarize, rewrite, or translate the text.

To access the Advanced Paste tool, users will need to ensure they have the latest version of PowerToys installed. If the program is not already installed, it can be downloaded from the Microsoft Learning Page, Microsoft Store page, or GitHub page. Once PowerToys is installed or updated to version 0.80.1, users can access the settings page for Advanced Paste within the utility.

Within the Advanced Paste settings, users can enable the tool and also activate the Clipboard history switch. Using the AI capabilities of the tool requires an OpenAI API key, which can be obtained by creating an account on the OpenAI API Keys Page. Once the API key is obtained, it can be copied and pasted into the PowerToys settings screen for Advanced Paste to enable the AI Paste feature.

With the Advanced Paste tool enabled, users can now access a menu that allows them to choose how they want to paste copied text. Options include pasting as plain text, markdown, or JSON format. The tool also provides access to clipboard history, a cloud-based universal clipboard feature in Windows 10 and 11, allowing users to select and paste previously copied items.

The true power of Advanced Paste lies in its AI capabilities, which allow users to request text summarizations, translations, code generation, text transformations, and stylizations. Users can make requests in the “Describe the format you want” field, using AI to generate the desired text based on specific styles or requests.

Overall, the new Advanced Paste tool in PowerToys offers enhanced functionality for copy and paste tasks, integrating artificial intelligence to provide users with new ways to work with text. The tool can be a useful addition for those looking to streamline their workflow and experiment with AI-powered features.

Article Source
https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-launches-an-ai-powered-copy-and-paste-tool-heres-how-you-can-use-it/