Tech blog Neowin, which has a solid track record when it comes to reporting on Microsoft's unreleased products, says Cortana can be already seen running in early builds of Microsoft's next major software update.
This isn't the first time Neowin has spotted Cortana running in Windows 9, but the virtual assistant now appears to be further along in the development process. Here's how Neowin's Brad Sams described it:
The good news here is that Cortana has 'graduated,' if you want to call it that, from engineering builds to a more stable release cycle. What this means is that Cortana is no longer in the phase where it is 'let us see if this works' to a 'let us push this forward and see if we can ship it' stage.
If Cortana does make it to the final build of Windows 9, she'll likely appear as an app on the desktop. Launching the app will open a small window where you can type or speak your question, rather than occupy the entire screen like she does on Windows Phone devices.
Cortana is one of Microsoft's latest additions to the Windows Phone platform. Introduced with Windows Phone 8.1, the virtual assistant is designed to learn more about you the more you use it, similar to Google Now.
Microsoft says it took careful attention to make Cortana feel as human-like as possible when developing its personal assistant, so that you could speak to her using natural language rather than precise commands.
In a recent email to employees, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella hinted that Windows Phone is only the beginning for Cortana, writing that future Windows experiences "will become more connected to each other, more contextual and more personal."
The developer preview of Windows 9 is expected to launch in fall 2014, so we're expecting to learn more details in the coming months.