Microsoft unveils AI-Integrated Copilot+ PCs and tablets
On Monday, Microsoft unveiled a new category of personal computers integrated with AI features in a bid to incorporate emerging technology into its products and compete with industry giants like Alphabet and Apple.
At an event held at its Redmond, Washington campus, Chief Executive Satya Nadella introduced the “Copilot+” PCs, which Microsoft plans to sell in collaboration with various manufacturers including Acer and Asustek Computer.
These new computers, dubbed “Copilot+” PCs, are equipped to handle artificial intelligence tasks more efficiently without relying heavily on cloud data centers. Priced starting from $1,000, they are set to hit the market on June 18.
During the event, Microsoft showcased features like “Recall,” which aids users in locating files and data even if they were previously viewed in a web browser tab.
Additionally, the Copilot voice assistant was demonstrated providing real-time guidance to a user playing the popular video game “Minecraft.”
Yusuf Mehdi, head of consumer marketing at Microsoft, expressed expectations that 50 million AI PCs would be sold within the next year. He emphasized that the faster AI assistants running directly on PCs would be a significant incentive for users to upgrade their devices.
The introduction of the “Copilot+” category highlights Microsoft’s focus on AI features, drawing parallels to Intel’s promotion of the “Ultrabook” category in 2011 to compete with Apple’s MacBook Air.
AI-Powered Surface Pro Tablet
Microsoft also announced the impending availability of GPT-4o, the latest technology from OpenAI, as part of the Microsoft Copilot.
In addition to the Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft unveiled a new generation of its Surface Pro tablet and Surface Laptop featuring Qualcomm chips based on Arm Holdings’ architecture. The company also introduced Prism technology to facilitate the compatibility of software between Intel and AMD chips with Arm-based chips.
The event also featured a demonstration of Microsoft’s new devices outperforming an Apple device, showcasing Adobe photo editing software running faster on the Microsoft device. This comes amidst Apple’s recent unveiling of an AI-focused chip for future laptops.
With the PC industry facing increased competition from Apple’s custom chips, Microsoft aims to leverage Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chips, equipped with a neural processing unit designed to accelerate AI applications like the Copilot software.
Microsoft’s product event coincided with the beginning of its annual developer conference, underscoring the company’s commitment to advancing AI tools and maintaining its competitive edge in the tech industry.
