Microsoft will go live on September 26, 2023, with its conversational AI tool, Copilot, as part of its Windows 11 23H2 update. Available to all Windows users, it will be accessible with a simple mouse right-click button.
The company also said it will release the Copilot version of Microsoft 365 on Nov. 1 for a monthly price of $30 per user. It will come with features for Office 365 programs like PowerPoint and Excel that incorporate OpenAI’s technology.
With over 150 new features, the Windows 11 update brings the power of Copilot and new AI-powered experiences to apps like Paint, Photos, Clipchamp, and more.
The Copilot supports a redesigned File Explorer with a new Ink Anywhere feature for pen users.
This is Microsoft’s latest attempt to deliver a digital assistant inside Windows after the company shut down the Cortana app inside Windows 11 last month.
From the Microsoft Blog
The Microsoft Blog said it was transforming productivity at work with Microsoft 365, redefining search with Bing and Edge, and delivering contextual value that works across apps and PCs with Windows.
It said Copilot will provide better assistance with user privacy and security at the forefront.
Bing will add support for the latest DALL.E 3 model from OpenAI. Below are some of the key features Windows 11 users can expect from Copilot.
- Paint has been enhanced with AI for drawing and digital creation with the addition of background removal and layers as well as a preview of Cocreator that brings the power of generative AI to the Paint app.
- Photos, using AI, feature new features to easily edit photos. Use background blur to make the subject of your photo stand out quickly and easily. Photos are easily found based on their content and the location where they were taken.
- Snipping Tool now offers more ways to capture content on your screen and the update allows extracting specific text content from an image to paste in another application. Â Sound capturing was added using audio and mic support, allowing the creation of compelling videos.
- Personalized answers. Your chat history can now inform your results. For example, if you’ve used Bing to track your favorite soccer team, the next time you’re planning a trip it can proactively tell you if the team is playing in your destination city. If you prefer responses that don’t use your chat history, you can turn this feature off in Bing settings.
- Copilot in Microsoft Shopping. When you ask for information on an item, Bing will ask additional questions to learn more, then use that information to provide more tailored recommendations, quickly, at the best price, Microsoft claims. Soon, you’ll also be able to use a photo or saved image as the starting point for shopping.
- DALL.E 3 model from OpenAI in Bing Image Creator. DALL.E 3 will deliver more beautiful creations and better renderings for details like fingers and eyes. It also has a better understanding of what you’re asking for, which results in delivering more accurate images. The company is integrating Microsoft Designer directly into Bing.
Microsoft 365 Copilot- Microsoft 365 Chat
Rapid advancements have taken place over the last few months with Microsoft 365. The Microsoft 365 Chat combs across your entire universe of data at work, including emails, meetings, chats, documents, and more, plus the web. Like an assistant, it claims it has a deep understanding of you, your job, your priorities, and your organization.
It goes far beyond simple questions and answers to give you a head start on some of the most complex or tedious tasks. That’s whether that’s writing a strategy document, booking a business trip, or catching up on emails.Â
Read: Databricks and hype around Microsoft using its software
Problem with AI hegemony
The machine learning and artificial intelligence market is essentially dominated by big players, including Google, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft. They have both data and resources to develop and launch AI at scale.
Can the concentration of power in the hands of tech giants be a threat when it comes to regulating AI and controlling the use of its applications?
Fact is building large language models (LLMs) requires financial resources, know-how, and data that are now mostly present at big companies. Even OPEN AI, a most prominent startup, needed funding from, namely, Microsoft and Google to gain access to customers.
Universities like Stanford and MIT were in the past able to compete with big players in terms of know-how in computer science. But now, AI has taken them off the map when it comes to building capabilities which are the foundations for AI models.
Can it be argued that a monopoly is in the works here? If so, tech giants would be better off sharing the secretive data they use to train their models. This will allow startups and research groups to use it, grow, and spread more balanced and unbiased AI models. Leaving it up to tech giants, these companies are likely to take a purely commercial angle to develop this technology.
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