Windows 11 KB5058493 Update: Bringing AI and Copilot+ Support to Intel and AMD Devices

Windows 11 continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and with the rollout of the KB5058493 update, Microsoft is intensifying its focus on AI-powered experiences across a broader set of hardware. Recent updates are particularly significant for users with Intel and AMD-powered Copilot+ PCs—a category previously associated more with ARM-based systems. In this deep dive, we’ll examine what’s new in KB5058493, how the “Click to Do” experience leverages cutting-edge on-device AI, analyze technical enhancements, flag emerging risks, and explore what these developments mean for everyday users and IT professionals.

Copilot+ Comes to Intel and AMD: Democratizing AI on Windows 11​

For months, much of Microsoft’s AI momentum in Windows 11 has been centered around Copilot+, with ARM-based devices (notably those running Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X series) positioned at the forefront. That changes with KB5058493, as intelligent features now arrive for Intel and AMD Copilot+ PCs, expanding Microsoft’s vision for an AI-first experience across traditional architectures.
Previously, these new AI features, especially the intelligent “Click to Do” text actions, were only available on ARM hardware. This broadening of support signals that Microsoft intends for Copilot+ and on-device intelligence to become standard fare—and not just a niche for the newest silicon.

What’s New in KB5058493?​

Intelligent Text Actions: Click to Do Gets Smarter​

One of the key innovations in KB5058493 is an expansion of intelligent text actions, branded as “Click to Do,” accessible for users on supported Intel and AMD platforms:

• How it works: By using the Windows key in combination with mouse-clicks or the WIN + Q keyboard shortcut, users can select a block of text. Once at least 10 words are highlighted (and with English as the system language), new AI-powered options appear—Summarize, Create a Bulleted List, or Rewrite.
• Rewrite options: The Rewrite feature offers tone adjustments—casual, formal, or polished—empowering users to adapt text for different scenarios.
• Powered by Phi Silica: Crucially, these actions leverage “Phi Silica,” a new on-device Small Language Model (SLM) embedded directly into Windows 11, specifically designed to offer quick, private, and responsive AI text generation.

This marks a major shift away from cloud-powered AI for these tasks, enhancing privacy and responsiveness, as processing is handled locally. Microsoft claims that prompt and response moderation is now enforced on-device, entirely replacing the need for cloud endpoints for Click to Do’s intelligent actions. This is a critical strength, particularly for enterprise and privacy-conscious users.

Limitations​

• Language restrictions: As of this release, intelligent text actions are available only when English is set as the default interface language. Users operating in French or Spanish have reduced capabilities (Summarize, Bulleted List, and basic Refine only), with full rewrite functions “returning in a future update.”
• Sign-in requirements: Users must be logged into a Microsoft or Entra account to access these features.
• Availability: The AI agent in the Windows Settings app—a separate experience—is still rolling out to Beta Channel users first, with Dev Channel support following once the relevant machine learning models are set up for this cohort.

Enhanced Device Management and UI Improvements​

Dynamic Lighting—a feature that allows users to control the RGB lighting of supported hardware—now permits the safe removal of compatible devices directly from the familiar “Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media” icon in the taskbar, enhancing the overall plug-and-play experience and reducing the risk of hardware errors or data loss.
A new FAQ section in Settings > System > About provides contextual, “quick and helpful insights” about system configuration, performance, and compatibility. This improvement is likely to benefit less-experienced users, offering immediate answers to typical questions without the need for online searches or support calls.

Fixes and Known Issues: Strengthening Stability, Surface-Level Setbacks​

Every Insider build brings a mix of enhancements and rough edges—KB5058493 is no exception.

Notable Fixes​

• Start Menu Reliability: Several Start menu crashes, long a sore spot for insiders, are addressed.
• File Explorer: Deadlocks and missing metadata (such as “Shared by” and “Activity” in tooltips) have been fixed, reducing workflow interruptions.
• Voice Access and Accessibility: Crashes when using voice access in Spanish are resolved, and improvements to screen reader focus in the taskbar enhance the accessibility layer—though some issues remain (see below).
• File Explorer Stability: Multiple fixes prevent undesired hangs or crashes when closing, and address issues with live captions in accessibility tools.

Persisting and Emerging Issues​

Despite these strides, KB5058493 also introduces or leaves unsolved a range of challenges. IT admins and power users should note the following:

• Build Version Reporting: After a PC reset, the OS version may falsely report as Build 26100 instead of the correct 26200. This cosmetic issue does not block further updates and should be resolved automatically in a future release.
• PC Reset Blocked: The option to reset your PC under Settings > System > Recovery is currently non-functional in this build—a potentially serious roadblock for users needing to perform a quick system refresh.
• Xbox Controller Bug: Some users report bugchecks (BSODs) when connecting Xbox controllers via Bluetooth. While a workaround is available (uninstalling the relevant device driver), expect further fixes in future flights.
• Click to Do Limitations: On Intel and AMD Copilot+ PCs, users may experience long wait times the first time they run an intelligent text action after installing a new build or model update. Furthermore, full Spanish and French support is currently unavailable, and some image-related actions may not appear.
• Windows Search Indexing: For Copilot+ users, Microsoft advises plugging in the device during initial search indexing for optimal results.
• Account Manager Access: Clicking the profile picture in the Start menu may not open the Account Manager for some users.
• Task Manager Inconsistencies: The new CPU Utility column doesn't reflect the System Idle Process accurately, and CPU performance graphs still use legacy calculations—not the new ones.
• Accessibility: Narrator’s richer image descriptions aren’t functioning on Copilot+ PCs in this build, and expanded “flexible language” support in voice access also doesn’t work as intended.

For a full list, users and admins are encouraged to monitor Windows Insider Blog updates to stay informed on fixes and potential workarounds.

Local AI: The Arrival of Small Language Models (SLMs) on Windows​

A particularly noteworthy advancement in KB5058493 is the mainstream debut of what Microsoft calls "Phi Silica," a Small Language Model that runs entirely on-device. While the broader tech industry has celebrated the arrival of Local AI for privacy, speed, and reliability, this marks the first time such technology is tightly integrated directly within the Windows OS for day-to-day productivity.

What Is Phi Silica?​

Based on Microsoft’s earlier research into compact language models, Phi Silica is optimized for performance and efficiency on consumer CPUs and NPUs. Unlike resource-intensive large language models (LLMs), Silica balances accuracy with responsiveness, making it feasible to deploy sophisticated text generation and moderation without heavy cloud dependencies.

Critical Advantages​

• Privacy: User text never leaves the device for processing, a key differentiator over cloud-based AI assistants.
• Responsiveness: Results appear inline almost instantly, even on mid-range hardware, provided the device meets minimum Copilot+ PC specs.
• Enterprise Compliance: On-device moderation—separating content analysis from cloud-based review—mitigates compliance burdens and data residency concerns common in regulated industries.

These improvements can transform how users interact with documents, emails, and web content. The immediate ability to summarize meetings, rephrase sensitive text, or generate lists on the fly enhances workflow speed, reduces reliance on external generators, and supports better data control.

Potential Risks and Drawbacks​

However, some risks should be noted:

• Accuracy and Safety: Small Language Models, while powerful, can still produce inaccurate or contextually inappropriate suggestions. Although results are “locally moderated,” the depth of this moderation is hard to independently verify—caution is advised before pasting generated content into mission-critical documents.
• Resource Usage: Running SLMs on-device, particularly alongside other intensive workloads, could degrade system performance on older hardware or entry-level Copilot+ PCs.
• Functionality Gaps: As SLMs are still maturing, certain advanced language features or context awareness found in cloud-scale LLMs may be missing or appear less polished.

The State of Copilot+ in 2025: Expanding Beyond ARM​

With KB5058493, Copilot+ is officially no longer a “first and best on ARM” affair. Microsoft’s pivot to extend support for intelligent text actions, and increasing parity across Intel and AMD hardware, signals a unified AI layer for Windows moving forward.
The hardware requirements for Copilot+ PCs—still a topic of much debate—remain steep for many consumers, with mandates such as 16GB RAM, advanced CPUs/NPUs, and SSD storage. However, Intel’s upcoming Lunar Lake and AMD’s Strix Point and Hawk Point chips are explicitly designed to meet these bar-raising standards, putting Microsoft’s AI vision within reach for the next generation of x86 devices.

Dev and Beta Channels: A Staggered Rollout​

The release cycle remains staggered, with some features appearing in the Beta Channel before Dev Channel users see them. This measured rollout gives Microsoft time to vet new ML models and conduct wider A/B testing. Users eager for the latest and greatest (but potentially unstable) features continue to find the Dev Channel the leading edge, while Beta Channel builds offer a more polished preview.

User Experience: Productivity Gains and Learning Curve​

For end users, the new Click to Do experience is as seamless as Microsoft claims. Summarizing a dense email thread or turning a wall of text into a bulleted list, all within seconds, is a meaningful productivity upgrade that reduces context-switching and the tendency to rely on browser-based tools. The local-first approach also minimizes data leaks—an often-cited pain point with “send to cloud” workflows.
However, some transitional issues remain:

• First-run delays on new builds can be confusing or frustrating.
• Features are gated by specific language and account settings, so those outside the US-English ecosystem may feel left behind.
• The requirement to be logged into a Microsoft or Entra account may be off-putting to privacy advocates, despite the processing shift to local AI.

Microsoft’s efforts to surface useful tips and device support information in the System > About FAQ section are an improvement, likely to reduce common helpdesk tickets and empower users to troubleshoot minor issues themselves.

Enterprise Implications and IT Management​

For IT professionals, KB5058493 deserves close scrutiny. The shift towards local AI has deep implications for compliance, monitoring, and resource allocation. Device selection for future deployments will increasingly revolve around their ability to run AI tasks efficiently.
IT admins should particularly note:

• Update Management: The inability to reset PCs in this build is a significant risk, especially for environments with lean IT support.
• Driver Conflicts: Issues with Xbox controller support via Bluetooth can be disruptive in education and hybrid office settings.
• Compatibility Checks: Emerging features—especially those reliant on up-to-date Photos or Paint apps—necessitate continual monitoring for Microsoft Store app updates.

Comparisons with Competing Platforms​

Microsoft’s approach to on-device AI in Windows 11—particularly with SLMs—raises the bar for consumer and enterprise PCs. Apple’s macOS has begun integrating more local intelligence in recent releases, but much of its assistant functionality remains cloud-dependent. Google’s Chromebook and Pixel Tablet lines, meanwhile, are investing in AI at the browser or SoC level but have yet to offer the same degree of tight OS-level integration.
Windows 11’s proactive move into local AI, therefore, gives it a competitive edge in privacy-centric scenarios and places further pressure on rivals to match both speed and breadth of on-device intelligence.

Critical Analysis: The Strengths and Early Warnings​

Key Strengths​

• Local-First AI: Mass adoption of on-device SLMs for everyday productivity is a doubled-edged innovation, improving privacy and speed while setting a new baseline for hardware capability.
• Expanded Hardware Reach: By opening up Copilot+ features to Intel and AMD, Microsoft demonstrates both technical versatility and a real commitment to platform inclusivity.
• Continuous Feedback Loop: The Insider program’s rapid cycle of feedback, bug fixes, and feature refinements remains a model for iterative OS improvement.
• Improved Help and Support: The new FAQ overlay in Settings is a practical addition that embodies usability best practices, bringing critical support closer to the user.

Lingering Risks​

• Incomplete Internationalization: The continued lack of full Click to Do capabilities in languages beyond English will frustrate global users—a gap that needs swift closure to avoid alienating non-English markets.
• Update Glitches: Breakage of core features like PC Reset or Bluetooth controller support can create operational headaches. While Insider builds come with caveats, the frequency and impact of such bugs may warrant further refinement before broader deployment.
• Opaque Model Moderation: While local moderation is a step up for privacy, the process remains something of a black box. Without independent verification, organizations must tread carefully before fully trusting sensitive content to on-device AI.
• Hardware Demands: The push for AI-centric PCs will accelerate hardware obsolescence, forcing users and businesses to upgrade more quickly than usual.

The Road Ahead: What KB5058493 Signals for Windows 11​

The arrival of intelligent text actions and an assertive push for local AI through KB5058493 sets the tone for Windows 11’s ambitions in 2025 and beyond. Microsoft is betting big that AI will soon become as central to PC usage as the Start menu itself—a transformation that echoes the arrival of Cortana nearly a decade ago, but with tighter privacy, far greater utility, and a much deeper integration with core workflow activities.
If Microsoft can solve the remaining internationalization and reliability challenges, Copilot+ and on-device SLMs could well redefine what “personal computing” actually means. However, the company must maintain vigilance: overreliance on SKU-gating features and high base hardware requirements might leave too many users on legacy platforms, fracturing the Windows ecosystem just as it strives for new relevance.
Power users and enterprises will be keeping a watchful eye on future builds—especially concerning the interplay between Windows Update, local AI model refreshes, and integration with the Microsoft 365 suite. The stakes are high, but so too is the potential for transformative productivity gains, new modes of secure collaboration, and a Windows experience that genuinely feels (and is) smarter than ever before.

Conclusion: A Smarter, More Capable Windows—With Caveats​

KB5058493 is more than a routine build; it’s an inflection point for Windows 11. By democratizing Copilot+ experiences for Intel and AMD systems, Microsoft is signaling that AI’s future lives on every desk, not just the latest tablets or ARM laptops. The blend of privacy-centric, locally processed intelligence with enhanced usability marks a significant leap forward—one that, if coupled with further refinement and broader accessibility, could shape the PC landscape for years to come.
As always, Insiders and IT leaders should approach new builds with healthy caution and a keen eye for both opportunity and risk. But with Copilot+ and features like Click to Do finally escaping their hardware silos, the era of the AI-native PC just got a lot closer for everyone.

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Source: Neowin Windows 11 gets new Copilot+ PC experiences for Intel and AMD systems in KB5058493