As anticipation builds for Microsoft’s upcoming Build conference next month, all eyes are on the software giant as it prepares to unveil a host of new artificial intelligence (AI) features for Windows PCs and Azure cloud services. According to the recently revealed session agenda, AI will take center stage, with Microsoft set to introduce a suite of innovative tools aimed at enhancing user experiences across its ecosystem.
Leading the charge on the AI front will be Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft’s newly-appointed VP of AI, who brings with him a wealth of experience from his tenure at DeepMind, the renowned AI research company acquired by Google in 2014. Suleyman will share the keynote stage with CEO Satya Nadella and other top Microsoft executives, as they outline the company’s ambitious AI vision for the future.
For Windows users, one of the highlights will be the integration of AI-powered enhancements into the popular PowerToys suite, including a groundbreaking “Advanced Paste” feature that harnesses on-device AI models to intelligently reformat text. Additionally, Microsoft will tease upcoming AI capabilities designed to enable deeper interaction with digital experiences within Windows applications themselves.
On the Azure front, developers can expect updates to Microsoft’s AI safety tools aimed at mitigating risks such as explicit content generation. Furthermore, the company will showcase enhancements to its Copilot AI assistant for Azure, promising greater efficiency and productivity for cloud developers.
One of the most significant announcements expected at Build is Microsoft’s support for running AI inferencing on Arm-based neural processing units (NPUs). This breakthrough development will enable energy-efficient AI processing on Windows on Arm PCs and Azure cloud instances, paving the way for scalable AI solutions that are both powerful and cost-effective.
The emphasis on AI at Build is consistent with Microsoft’s broader strategy to make AI a central component of its product lineup. CEO Satya Nadella previously declared 2024 as the year when AI would become a “first-class” feature across Microsoft’s offerings, and the company has been steadily delivering on this promise with a slew of AI-powered innovations, from its robust Azure AI services to the integration of dedicated “Copilot” buttons on its latest Surface PCs for seamless access to voice assistants.