A $10 billion investment in OpenAI is not enough for Microsoft. Now the tech giant is unveiling more artificial intelligence capabilities across its consumer products, aiming to be at the forefront of the AI wave.
At its global autumn event Thursday, Microsoft announced that its brand new digital assistant Copilot will soon arrive to replace the depreciated Cortana, and will come to Windows 11 and Microsoft 365 starting September 26. Copilot uses large language models to provide personalized, context-aware assistance with everyday tasks.
Additionally, Microsoft previewed major AI-powered upgrades to Bing's shopping, image creation, and enterprise chat features leveraging OpenAI's new and powerful DALL-E 3 image generation model.
It also revealed AI updates to Paint, Photos, Snipping Tool, Clipchamp, and other native Windows apps to boost creativity and productivity. For example, Paint will support layers and text-to-image features similar to Adobe’s autofill tool.
To showcase these new experiences, Microsoft introduced the powerful Surface Laptop Studio 2, which it claims delivers 2x faster graphics performance for running heavy AI workloads compared to Apple's latest, maxed-out MacBook Pro.
"We believe Microsoft is the place where useful AI experiences come together simply, securely, and responsibly into the products you use most," said Microsoft in the official announcement.
Microsoft has unveiled a suite of four new artificial intelligence compilers designed to optimize the performance of various AI models. The “heavy metal quartet” of cutting-edge compilation tools bear the names Rammer, Roller, Welder and Grinder.
The tools were developed by Microsoft Research in collaboration with a number of academic institutions. They provide advanced solutions for compiling —basically the transformation from source code (human readable) into machine code (a bunch of ones and...
Microsoft's massive investments in AI research and integration across its consumer ecosystem cement its position as a frontrunner in making AI a daily utility.
So far in 2023, Microsoft has introduced four advanced AI compilers, unveiled an AI training method called Algorithm of Thoughts to make AI more efficient and human-like, and partnered with Nvidia for next-gen infrastructure. This focus has boosted Microsoft's stock over 40% this year.
Image: Tradingview
With Copilot's debut in Windows 11 later this month, Microsoft is aiming to make AI assistance seamlessly available across devices and platforms. According to the company, Copilot will "uniquely incorporate the context and intelligence of the web" to provide better help by understanding users' needs and environment.
Microsoft 365 Chat goes even further by combing through emails, documents, meetings, and chats to serve as an AI-powered personal assistant for work. It uses natural language prompts to automate complex tasks like scheduling meetings or drafting documents.
The move might be a direct response to Google’s recent announcement of an integration between its AI chatbot Bard and its own suite of office products.
"Rapid advancements over the last few months have taken it to a whole new level," stated Microsoft regarding 365 Chat. "Microsoft 365 Chat combs across your entire universe of data at work, including emails, meetings, chats, documents and more, plus the web" it said. The company believes it could significantly reduce the daily workload for its over 200 million Office users.
Microsoft is betting that weaving AI throughout its ecosystem will provide a vital competitive edge—both for consumers and in the cloud computing race against rivals like Amazon and Google. If Copilot fulfills its promise to enhance how people use Windows PCs and Microsoft software, it could be a game-changer in making AI assistants indispensable.
And if not, at least it would be fulfilling another long-lived promise as Copilot becomes the competent AI assistant that Cortana was always envisioned to be.
Generally Intelligent Newsletter
A weekly AI journey narrated by Gen, a generative AI model.
Netflix is redesigning its home screen with a generative AI-powered search feature, along with a TikTok-style vertical video feed for mobile to help users discover new shows and movies faster. The company unveiled the update during an online presentation on Tuesday.
Along with the visual redesign, Netflix is working with ChatGPT creator OpenAI to develop a new search feature powered by generative AI. The feature will allow users to request personalized recommendations using natural, conversation...
Christopher Pelkey spoke directly to the man who shot and killed him during a 2021 road rage incident in Arizona—three-and-a-half years after his death.
“To Your Honor, Judge Lang, thank you for making yourself available to see this case to the end. Especially when the rescheduled trial conflicted with your daughter’s spring break,” the AI version of Christopher Pelkey said in a video presented in the Phoenix, Arizona courtroom.
"To Gabriel Horcasitas, the man who shot me: It is a shame we encou...
NewLimit, a biotechnology startup co-founded by Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, has raised $130 million in a Series B funding round to bolster its ambitions to slow or even reverse aspects of human aging.
The round, led by Kleiner Perkins, drew participation from prominent returning investors including Founders Fund, Dimension Capital, angel investor Elad Gil, Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan, and Stripe co-founder Patrick Collison, according to a statement.
New investors included former GitHub CEO Nat...