Microsoft's Leaked 'Aion' OS Puts Copilot at the Center
A leaked Microsoft project codenamed 'Aion' from 2024 has revealed an experimental operating system centered around Copilot, a conversational AI agent.
The prototype was built on a modified version of Microsoft Edge and a lightweight Windows codebase called Win3. The Aion interface eliminated the traditional Windows Start menu, desktop icons, and pinned taskbar apps, instead relying on Copilot as the primary launcher.
Copilot acted as the main way to communicate, find entertainment, learn, and get things done within the Aion system. The AI agent could open apps, browse the web, and start tasks through voice commands or text inputs. For instance, typing 'techc' suggested TechCrunch, while asking for dining options in Maui opened a floating Copilot chat with restaurant names and travel links.
A feature called Spaces grouped related content and conversations by goal. One example, TURKEY TRIP, included a Description and Goals card for planning a trip to Turkey in September, along with entries for Edge, WhatsApp, YouTube, Word, Turkish Airlines, Expedia, and Airbnb.
The prototype also showed the integration of Microsoft 365 information directly within Aion. A request about Scott Schenone led Copilot to search SharePoint and email, identify him as a Senior Design Director working on the Lanai project, and summarize his recent work from internal documents.