Microsoft is copying Samsung Galaxy S24's best AI feature

Plenty of people have had their concerns with AI copying and plagiarising work since it's become more common - and ironically, the different competitors are copying each others work, with Microsoft taking one of Galaxy AI's most exciting features.

There's a few exciting things on the Galaxy AI features list, including live translation and chat assist, but one that has seen most of the marketing is Google's Circle to Search. Holding down the navigation bar on your Galaxy S24 will let you draw a circle around anything, and Google will search for results based on what you circled.

It works decently well, from our brief time using it. At least it works well enough, so much so that Microsoft is "borrowing" the idea for it's Copilot AI. And luckily, it seems like it's not a Copilot Pro-exclusive feature either.

The feature, aptly titled Circle to Copilot (couldn't think of anything else, Microsoft?), lets users on Microsoft Edge circle objects, which will then be attached into the Copilot menu in the right side and allows users to interact with Microsoft's ChatGPT-powered assistant about the circled term or image.

Circle to Copilot was first spotted by Windows Report, and is currently available on the latest version of Microsoft Edge Canary, an experimental build of Edge for developers or users who want to test in-development features. Unfortunately, from the GIF that Windows Report shared, it doesn't seem as, well, seamless as Galaxy AI's Circle to Search. But, it may be better as it reaches the standard Microsoft Edge.

It'll be interesting to see whether the feature arrives as a free tool for those using Copilot. Galaxy AI is only free until the end of 2025, with any cloud-based AI functions likely being put behind a subscription once the trial ends. While we were impressed with the Galaxy AI features during Samsung Unpacked, Circle to Search is actually available on the Pixel 8 line up too, as an update rolling out to users.

However, we'd like to see Circle to Copilot, which definitely doesn't roll off the tongue as well as Circle to Search, arrive on Android and iPhone. From the look of the Microsoft Edge version of the feature, we feel like it would be better placed on a mobile device. At least competition is always a good thing, even in the AI market.