Microsoft has introduced an exciting new feature called Advanced Paste to PowerToys for Windows 11, which uses artificial intelligence to enhance your clipboard functionality. This feature promises to streamline your workflow by allowing you to copy content in one language and paste it in another, among other tricks. However, to unlock its full potential, you will need OpenAI API credits.
How to use Advanced Paste
Advanced Paste is part of PowerToys version 0.81. Once you have updated to this version, you can enable the feature and use it by pressing a special key combination: Windows Key + Shift + V. This action will open a text window that provides various paste conversion options, such as plaintext, markdown, and JSON.
To take advantage of the AI capabilities, you need to enable the ‘Paste with AI’ setting within Advanced Paste. This will present you with an OpenAI prompt where you can specify the type of conversion you need. Whether you want a text summary, translation, generated code, or a style rewrite (from casual to professional, for example), you can type your request into the prompt.
Requirements for using the feature
There are a few prerequisites to using this feature effectively. You must enter an OpenAI API key into PowerToys, which you can obtain by creating an OpenAI account. If you don’t already have API credits, you will need to purchase them separately. It’s important to note that API credits are distinct from a paid ChatGPT account.
This new feature is designed to be user-friendly and enhance productivity. It makes it easier for users to handle different kinds of text transformations without switching between multiple applications. By integrating AI directly into the clipboard functionality, Microsoft aims to provide a seamless and efficient user experience.
The benefits of AI in Advanced Paste
The primary advantage of Advanced Paste is its ability to save time and reduce the complexity of manual text conversion tasks. For instance, developers can effortlessly convert code snippets from one programming language to another, eliminating the need for external tools or additional coding effort. Similarly, content creators and writers can quickly translate text, generate summaries, or transform the tone of their writing with minimal effort.
Microsoft’s integration of AI into PowerToys reflects the growing trend of incorporating advanced technologies into everyday tools to enhance productivity. As AI continues to evolve, features like Advanced Paste are expected to become more sophisticated, offering even greater capabilities and versatility.
Overall, the introduction of Advanced Paste in PowerToys version 0.81 marks a significant step forward in making AI accessible and practical for everyday tasks on Windows 11. By providing users with powerful text conversion options directly within the clipboard, Microsoft is helping to simplify workflows and boost efficiency.
