Copilot UI as Platform Lock‑in

Microsoft is applying the Copilot app’s visual and interaction language to Edge and MSN, normalizing the assistant as the default interface across browsing and news. That cosmetic convergence is a low‑risk, high‑value step toward making the assistant the primary UI, increasing switching costs and enabling cross‑product data flows and monetization. — If large firms use unified assistant design to make AI interfaces the default, regulators and competitors will face a harder fight to preserve interoperability, user choice, and privacy across core internet endpoints.