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ChatGPT is coming directly to Windows, but not how you think

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According to the description of a new project, Microsoft is allowing for ChatGPT integration directly into Windows through a PowerToys Run utility integration for both Windows 10 and 11.

The company recently gave the go-ahead for software engineer Simone Franco to spearhead a project called ChatGPT plug-in for Microsoft PowerToys Run, according to Tom’s Hardware.

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The engineer will oversee developing and improving the ChatGPT-enabled PowerToys Run utility, as well as making it available as a plug-in to the Microsoft community. Franco is currently working on the project, having completed an initial test version in just two hours, with positive feedback from Microsoft. You can track the progress of the utility on the Microsoft PowerToys Run GitHub project page.

PowerToys is a set of system utilities created specifically for power users that was popularized in the 1990s. One of the utilities, PowerToys Run, is a quick launcher that lets you access applications, folders, or files with a simple Alt+Space command.

With the help of ChatGPT, PowerToys Run could potentially become more efficient and intuitive, however, there are several kinks Franco still has to iron out before the utility is ready for the public. Currently, the feature works with the standard Alt+Space command, but you must input an additional double question mark (??) before your query and another single question mark after it, and then you need to hit enter before the chatbot-enabled utility can process your request. This structure will likely be changed to something much smoother for the final product.

Other issues that need to be sorted out include figuring out how to allow users to store their OpenAI API key on the plug-in, improvements for the answer display UI, and the copy answer click action, among others, the publication added.

The PowerToys Run utility plug-in is one of many ChatGPT integrations that have come out or are planned for Windows. With its ongoing collaboration with OpenAI, Microsoft has already introduced a number of ChatGPT-inundated products this year, including the new Bing search and Edge browser, as well as overhauls to Teams and the Microsoft 365 suite.

Another way we’ve seen ChatGPT implemented “directly” onto computer systems is with the MacGPT application for macOS, which was developed by Jordi Bruin and allows you to install ChatGPT as a remote browser on your Mac desktop. When opening the app, it closely resembles Apple’s Safari browser. It looks and works just like ChatGPT,but in a Mac ecosystem. If you already have an OpenAI account, or you subscribe to ChatGPT Plus, you can use your credentials to quickly access ChatGPT. Otherwise, registering remotely is identical to the browser steps.

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Fionna Agomuoh
Fionna Agomuoh
Computing Writer
Fionna Agomuoh is a technology journalist with over a decade of experience writing about various consumer electronics topics…
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