Microsoft Launches AI-Powered Copilot Mode in Edge with GPT-5 Smart Mode; GitHub Copilot Hits 20 Million Users

Microsoft has introduced a new Copilot Mode in its Edge browser, aiming to transform it into an AI-powered browsing experience. The feature includes multi-tab retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), built-in task delegation actions, and voice-enabled browsing capabilities that can take user instructions and perform multiple tasks. Copilot Mode allows users to chat, scan, summarize videos, group tabs, and live-translate content within the browser. Microsoft has also begun a wider rollout of a Smart Mode for Copilot, expected to be powered by GPT-5, which can adapt its processing speed based on the task complexity. This rollout is part of Microsoft's broader AI strategy, which also includes its AI coding tool GitHub Copilot, which has attracted over 20 million users, with 5 million new users in the last three months. Despite these advances, Microsoft Edge has experienced a decline in popularity, raising questions about whether the AI features will reverse this trend.