Microsoft adds on-device AI to Windows 11's Advanced Paste: What's new

New Microsoft PowerToys update brings on-device AI to Windows 11, letting Advanced Paste translate, summarise and reformat text without internet, cloud access or API costs

Microsoft has rolled out an update to its PowerToys suite for Windows 11, adding on-device AI support to the Advanced Paste tool. With the new PowerToys 0.96 update, users can now translate, summarise or reformat copied text using AI models that run directly on their PC’s NPU instead of the cloud. This means faster performance, no internet requirement, improved privacy and no need to purchase API credits for basic AI actions. The update also introduces support for more cloud-based models and a refreshed interface.

 

Microsoft says Advanced Paste can now route tasks through Microsoft’s Foundry Local tool or the open-source Ollama, both of which process AI requests entirely on the device. For users who still prefer online options, the tool now works with Azure OpenAI, Google Gemini and Mistral, expanding beyond its earlier OpenAI-only support.

 

The interface has been updated as well — Advanced Paste now shows your current clipboard contents and includes a drop-down menu for switching between different AI models, making it easier to pick the right one for the task.

What is Microsoft PowerToys?

Microsoft PowerToys is a collection of advanced tools designed for power users on Windows. It adds features that help you customise your PC experience, such as window management tools, bulk file renaming, quick search utilities and specialised clipboard features like Advanced Paste.

 

In related news, Microsoft recently announced that it is transforming Windows into an “agentic OS”, bringing AI-driven automation directly into everyday system functions and workflows. The upgrade brings deeper Copilot integration, on-device AI for Copilot Plus PCs and support for autonomous agents. Windows 11 will gain hands-free Copilot access, taskbar-level agent controls, File Explorer actions and improved accessibility tools. Microsoft is also adding free AI features to Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint, enabling tasks like inbox triage, document creation and slide updates.