Tech Revolution: Unveiling Microsoft's AI Future

It’s that time of year where all your good morning habits are going to be seriously challenged as the crisp breeze signals the arrival of Autumn. Fortunately, I’m not someone who is up for the gym at 6am, so the colder and darker mornings won’t hamper my progress in that area at all.

Anyway, I’m not here to talk about how much I can bench press (like I have any idea!) I’m here to discuss the transformation, and innovation, in the world of technology. Welcome to the first edition of Tech Talk for Business Growth, where much like the shifting seasons, I’ll be diving into the ever-evolving landscape of tech and cyber security.

My first focus is the recent announcement from Microsoft about their all-new and all-powerful AI companion, soon to be our companion. Microsoft Copilot has a lot of people in the technology industry excited, and it’s not hard to see why.

The announcement highlights Microsoft’s focus on integrating AI technology into various aspects of their products and services, aiming to provide users with a more seamless and personalised experience. But in layman’s terns, what does that mean? Well, essentially, Microsoft are looking to make our lives easier and our work more efficient, with an AI tool that isn’t ‘One size fits all’ but more ‘What size do you require? We can tailor this for you’. Here’s a breakdown of the key points mentioned in the announcement made last week:

1. Microsoft Copilot: Microsoft is introducing a unified AI companion called “Microsoft Copilot.” It will leverage AI to provide assistance based on the context of your tasks and activities, while prioritising privacy and security. Copilot will be available across Windows 11, Microsoft 365, Bing, and Edge, serving as an app or appearing when needed via right-click.
2. Windows 11 Update: Microsoft is releasing a significant update for Windows 11, bringing over 150 new features. These updates include enhancements to various applications, such as Paint, Photos, Snipping Tool, Clipchamp, Notepad, and File Explorer, with AI-powered features like background removal, text extraction, and more.
3. Bing Enhancements: Bing is getting several AI-powered enhancements, including personalised answers based on chat history, AI-powered shopping experiences, and support for OpenAI’s DALL.E 3 model (which helps power the well-known ChatGPT) for image generation. Content Credentials will add digital watermarks to AI-generated images for responsible AI use.
4. Microsoft 365 Copilot: Microsoft 365 Copilot, designed for customers on the enterprise package, will be available on November 1, 2023. It will be accompanied by Microsoft 365 Chat, an AI assistant that helps users manage tasks, emails, meetings, and more.
5. Designer and Copilot Integration: Microsoft is integrating Designer, an AI-powered tool for creating visuals and graphics, into Microsoft 365 Copilot for consumers. This integration aims to make content creation more efficient and accessible.
6. New Surface Devices: Microsoft is introducing new Surface devices, including the Surface Laptop Studio 2, Surface Laptop Go 3, Surface Go 4 for Business, and Surface Hub 3. These devices are designed to leverage AI capabilities and offer improved performance and accessibility features.
7. AI Accessibility: Microsoft is working on making its AI experiences more inclusive, with features like adaptive accessories, such as Adaptive Pen Grips for Surface Pen, to enhance digital inking and creation for individuals with disabilities.
8. Overall, Microsoft’s vision is to harness AI to create a more personalised, efficient, and accessible computing experience. Their vision is shared across various platforms and devices, from Windows 11 to Surface devices and Microsoft 365 applications, meaning a seamless user experience should happen no matter what device you are working on.

If embracing the new working world has been something on the back of your mind for a while now, I highly suggest you jump on board before the train leaves for good. All these enhancements and the constant improvement to AI means that, quite simply, if you’re not utilising the power and integrating it into your business… your business will fall behind.