Microsoft and the open-source community have teamed up to create PowerToys, a Windows enhancement tool that offers a myriad of practical features such as OCR, quick launch, host modification, file unlocking, and regular expression renaming. The latest addition to the tool’s arsenal is the integration of ChatGPT, allowing users to access the AI assistant directly from their systems without needing to visit a webpage.
This new feature will be incorporated into PowerToys through a search launcher that mimics the style of Windows 10/11 search boxes. Users can simply input their questions into the search launcher, and PowerToys will query the OpenAI API to obtain the desired results.
The good news is that users can now access ChatGPT without having to use a web browser. The downside, however, is that the OpenAI API is not free, with charges based on token usage. As a result, users with more extensive queries may find themselves paying higher fees.
While PowerToys is an open-source tool and has ties to Microsoft, it cannot provide free access to the API. Therefore, this new feature can be considered as one of the many OpenAI API clients available. The timeline for the release of this functionality remains unclear, but it is expected to be included in an upcoming version of PowerToys in the near future.
As PowerToys continues to evolve and integrate new features like ChatGPT, it expands the possibilities for AI assistance on the Windows platform. However, users should be aware of the potential costs associated with using the OpenAI API before fully embracing this new functionality.