It's really easy to chalk up certain AI innovations as a step too far. I certainly felt that way when I learned that Microsoft added AI-powered copy-pasting to PowerToys; after all, why would anyone need AI integration with their clipboard? It felt like Microsoft was creating a solution for a problem that didn't exist.

However, the more I looked into it, the more I realized that AI-powered copy-pasting may not be as big of a fad as I first thought. The official Microsoft Learn documentation for the feature detailed that if you connect the clipboard to an OpenAI API, you can put text onto your clipboard, and then ask OpenAI's ChatGPT to tweak it however you like. Once ChatGPT is done, you can then add the result to your clipboard and paste it wherever you please. As such, I got stuck into the app to see if this new feature is a fad or a fundamental tool.

Getting set up with PowerToys

You need to do some preparation first

If you want to see what the fuss is about, you need to perform a few steps before you can get going. First, you need to go to the PowerToys GitHub page and install it to your system. Once it's ready, open it, then click "Advanced Paste" on the left. Then, turn on "Enable Paste with AI."

This feature only works if you purchase tokens from OpenAI. Note that this isn't the same as ChatGPT+; even if you are subscribed, you still need to purchase tokens via the OpenAI Platform website to use this feature. Fortunately, the minimum starting top-up amount is $5, and ChatGPT prompts are very cost-efficient. Once you're topped up, generate an API token and enter it into PowerToys. Now you're ready to go.

Translating text with AI in PowerToys

Advanced Paste is a handy translator tool

First things first, I wanted to give its translation capabilities a shot. I opened up Advanced Paste with its Win + Shift + V shortcut, then went to a Japanese news article and copied the text. Once the text was loaded onto the clipboard, I clicked on Advanced Paste's window and asked it to translate it into English. It sent the data over to OpenAI, and when it came back, I had the section of text I copied translated into English. I could then click a button to put this text onto the clipboard and paste it wherever I please.

It was handy to have an AI translator just a keystroke away; if I ever needed something translated, I could copy it and translate it within seconds. I can imagine this being a handy tool for anyone who wants to learn a second language, as it makes grabbing and translating text online a breeze.

Creating code from a description with PowerToys

Put a problem on the clipboard, then let ChatGPT handle the hard work

Next up, I wanted to see how well PowerToys can handle code generation. The idea behind this feature is simple; if you copy the description of what code should do, you can then feed it through Advanced Paste and immediately receive code that you can paste into your project.

For this test, I wanted to use the classic Fizz Buzz programming test. If you're unaware of this test, job interviewers would give coding applicants a puzzle to solve. They had to write code that counts from 1 to 100, but when the number is divisible by 3, it has to write 'Fizz' instead of the number. If it's divisible by 5, the code has to write 'Buzz'. And if the number is divisible by both 3 and 5, it should write 'Fizz Buzz'.

To test this, I copied the description of the Fizz Buzz test from the C2 Wiki. I brought up Advanced Paste and asked ChatGPT to make C# code that fits the bill. I then took the result and put it into an online C# compiler. Sure enough, the code worked perfectly.

Changing the tone of text with PowerToys

If you can't wrap your head around writing professional text, PowerToys has your back

For my final test, I wanted to see how well it would handle changing a text's tone from informal to formal. This is especially helpful if you've written out an email or letter and worry that you may come off as unprofessional.

To do this, I copied the informal job acceptance template on Flowrite. I then fed the text through ChatGPT, asking it to make it more formal. Sure enough, it cleaned up the text and made it sound more like a professional was writing the email. And because I was interacting directly with the clipboard, I could click where I wanted the text to go before generating the formal reply, then click the "paste" button that appears to instantly put it where I wanted it to go.

AI with PowerToys makes ChatGPT easier to access

Of course, when you use ChatGPT with PowerToys, it's going to act the same way as if you opened the OpenAI website and plugged everything into a new window. However, I think the main forte of using the PowerToys method is that you have ChatGPT on hand at all times. Any time you want to translate something or turn something into code, you can copy it, send it off to ChatGPT with Advanced Paste, and directly paste the result wherever you want. And for me, that level of convenience is worth the addition of AI to a copy-paste app.