The 2026 User Manual: Essential Answers for the New AI Ecosystem
The artificial intelligence landscape of February 2026 can be overwhelming. It is no longer a single market dominated by one chatbot; it is a sprawling ecosystem of specialized tools, hardware, and autonomous agents. Users are finding themselves navigating a maze of new brand names, complex login procedures, and technical configurations. From the "Breakout" success of DeepSeek's memory features to the confusion surrounding Microsoft's login portals, the questions users are asking have shifted from "What is AI?" to "How do I make this work?"
Based on the most urgent global search queries, this guide provides definitive answers to the top technical and practical questions of the moment. Whether you are trying to reset your Meta AI data, configure a "Team" of Claude agents, or simply log in to Copilot, this manual covers the essential knowledge required to operate in the current AI environment.
1. Navigating the Microsoft Copilot Ecosystem
The search data reveals significant confusion regarding Microsoft's entry points, specifically the difference between copilot.com, the CLI, and the various login portals.
How do I access the consumer version of Copilot?
The correct address for the general, consumer-facing web interface is copilot.microsoft.com. However, Microsoft has streamlined the redirect so that typing copilot.com (a top rising query) will take you to the same destination. This interface allows you to access GPT-4 class models for free. To use it, you must log in with a personal Microsoft account (Outlook, Hotmail, or Live). This is the "Bing Chat" successor and is best used for general web searching, image generation, and casual conversation.
What is the "Copilot CLI" and how do I use it?
The Copilot CLI (Command Line Interface) is not a chatbot window; it is a terminal utility for developers and system administrators. It functions as an extension of the GitHub CLI. To use it:
- Installation: You must first have the GitHub CLI (`gh`) installed. Then, run the command:
gh extension install github/gh-copilot. - Function: It translates natural language into shell commands. For example, if you type
gh copilot suggest "kill all processes on port 3000", it will return the precise Unix command to execute that task. It is designed to replace the need to memorize complex syntax for tools like `ffmpeg`, `docker`, or `git`.
How do I log in for work (Copilot 365)?
If you are trying to access Copilot inside Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, do not go to a website. Ensure you are signed into the Office desktop apps with your Work or School ID (Entra ID). The Copilot icon will appear in the "Home" ribbon. If it does not appear, your IT administrator has likely not assigned a seat to your specific user account, even if your company has purchased licenses.
2. Mastering DeepSeek: Engram and OCR2
DeepSeek has emerged as a powerhouse for technical users, with two specific features driving massive interest: Engram and OCR2.
What is DeepSeek Engram and how do I enable it?
DeepSeek Engram is the model's persistent memory architecture. Unlike standard chat history, Engram builds a structured knowledge graph of your preferences, ongoing projects, and specific facts you have taught it. To use it effectively: 1. Activation: Look for the "Engram" toggle in the DeepSeek settings or the "Memory" icon in the chat interface. 2. Usage: You do not need to repeat context. You can simply say, "Draft a follow-up email for the project we discussed last Tuesday," and Engram will retrieve the specific context of that project. It is designed for long-term continuity, acting as a digital cortex that grows with you.
How do I use DeepSeek OCR2 for document processing?
OCR2 (Optical Character Recognition 2.0) is DeepSeek's vision-to-text model. It is specifically optimized for messy, real-world documents that baffle other AIs. Best Use Case: If you have a handwritten invoice, a crumpled receipt, or a PDF with complex tables, upload the image to the DeepSeek chat window. The Prompt: Explicitly ask the model to "Convert this image to Markdown" or "Extract the table data into CSV format." OCR2 is trained to reconstruct the structural layout of the document, not just the text, making it ideal for digitizing archives or processing financial data.
3. The New Standard: Claude 4.6 and Agent Teams
Anthropic's latest release has introduced a new way of working: Agent Teams.
What are "Claude Code Agent Teams"?
This feature allows you to deploy multiple instances of Claude to work together on a single task. Instead of a linear conversation, you are acting as a manager.
- The Architect Agent: You assign one agent to plan the software structure.
- The Coder Agent: A second agent writes the actual code based on the Architect's plan.
- The Reviewer Agent: A third agent critiques the code for bugs and security flaws.
To use this, you typically access the "Projects" or "Team" interface within the Claude Professional dashboard. You define the roles in the setup phase, and the agents will converse with each other to refine the output before presenting the final result to you.
What is the "Claude Legal Plugin"?
This is a specialized "tool" or "artifact" designed for legal professionals. It connects Claude 4.6 to a verified database of case law and statutes. To use it, you must enable the plugin in your settings. Once active, any legal question you ask will be cross-referenced against this specific corpus, reducing hallucinations. It is critical to note that while highly accurate, it does not replace a human attorney; it serves as a paralegal for research and drafting.
4. The Open Web: Qwen3-Coder and OpenClaw
For users who prefer to run AI on their own hardware, the combination of Qwen and OpenClaw is the current standard.
How do I run Qwen3-Coder-Next locally?
To run this "Breakout" model without paying for an API:
1. Download Ollama: Install the Ollama runtime on your machine (Mac, Linux, or Windows).
2. Pull the Model: Open your terminal and type ollama run qwen3-coder-next. (Note: Ensure you have at least 16GB of RAM for decent performance).
3. Integration: You can then connect this local server to your IDE (like VS Code) using extensions that support local LLMs, effectively giving you a free, private Copilot.
What is OpenClaw and how do I install it?
OpenClaw is an autonomous agent framework. It "uses" your computer—clicking buttons, opening browsers, and typing text. Installation: OpenClaw is typically distributed as a Python package or a Docker container. You will need to clone the repository from GitHub. Configuration: You must provide it with a "brain"—this is where Qwen comes in. In the `config.yaml` file of OpenClaw, set the `model_endpoint` to your local Ollama server. This allows OpenClaw to operate completely offline, automating tasks like web scraping or file organization without sending data to the cloud.
5. Research & Knowledge: Perplexity and NotebookLM
The "Answer Engine" revolution requires a different set of user behaviors.
When should I use Perplexity vs. Google?
Use Perplexity when you have a question that requires synthesis. For example: "What are the pros and cons of the new tax bill?" Perplexity reads dozens of articles and writes a summary with citations. Use Google when you want a specific navigational destination, like "Delta Airlines login" or "weather in Tokyo." Perplexity is an answer engine; Google is a search engine.
How do I use NotebookLM for studying?
NotebookLM is unique because it is "grounded" in your documents. 1. Create a Notebook: Go to the NotebookLM website and create a new project. 2. Add Sources: Upload your PDF textbooks, lecture transcripts, or Google Docs. 3. Generate Audio: Click the "Audio Overview" button. The AI will generate a "podcast" where two AI hosts discuss your material. This is an incredibly effective way to "listen" to your reading list while commuting.
6. Meta AI: Hardware and Privacy
With AI moving into physical devices like the Oakley Meta Glasses, privacy has become a top priority.
What can the Oakley Meta AI Glasses actually do?
These glasses are multimodal. They have cameras and microphones connected to Meta AI. Visual Look Up: You can look at a flower and ask, "Hey Meta, what kind of plant is this?" Translation: You can look at a menu in a foreign language and ask for a translation. WhatsApp Integration: You can send photos and messages directly to WhatsApp via voice commands without touching your phone.
How do I reset my Meta AI data?
The query regarding "resetting the AI to default state" is trending for a reason. To clear your conversation history and "reset" the AI's memory of you: 1. Open the Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp app (whichever you use to chat with Meta AI). 2. Tap on the AI chat thread. 3. Tap the "i" (info) button or the profile name at the top. 4. Select "Delete chat" or "Clear conversation". 5. For a deeper reset, go to your Account Center settings under "AI inputs" to delete stored voice and text interactions from Meta's servers.
Conclusion
The tools available in 2026 offer unprecedented power, but they demand a higher level of user literacy. Whether you are using DeepSeek OCR2 to digitize your business, running Qwen locally to protect your code, or configuring Claude Agents to automate your workflow, the key to success is understanding the specific capabilities and setup requirements of each platform. We have moved beyond the "magic" phase of AI into the "manual" phase. Master the manual, and you master the machine.