The AI chatbot for Microsoft laptops will remember everything you do on your computer and help you figure out what to do next.
This software giant released an upgraded version of its AI assistant Copilot on Monday to compete with the intense competition from major tech rivals in promoting generative AI technology that can write documents, create images, and serve as realistic personal assistants at work or home.
Microsoft announced these news before its annual Build developer conference in Seattle, focusing on integrating AI capabilities into its already millions of consumer-focused products: the Windows operating system for personal computers.
The new features will include Windows Recall, allowing the AI assistant to "access almost everything you've seen or done on your PC in a near-photographic memory-like way." Microsoft promises to protect user privacy by allowing users to filter out content they do not want to be tracked.
Last week, competitor Google and Microsoft's close business partner OpenAI made significant AI announcements. OpenAI built the large AI language model that Microsoft Copilot is based on.
Google launched a redesigned search engine that regularly displays AI-generated summaries at the top of search result pages, along with the still-in-development AI assistant Astra, which will be able to "see" and discuss things displayed through a smartphone camera.
OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, released a new version of its chatbot last week, showcasing a human-like AI voice assistant that can chat about someone's clothes and even attempt to assess someone's emotions. The voice sounds similar to the AI character played by Scarlett Johansson in the sci-fi movie "Her," so OpenAI removed that voice from its voice library on Monday.
OpenAI also launched a new version of ChatGPT desktop specifically designed for Apple Mac computers.
Next up is Apple's annual developer conference in June. Apple CEO Tim Cook stated at the company's annual shareholder meeting in February that the company has been making significant investments in generative AI.
Some of the announcements made by Microsoft on Monday seem to undermine Apple's plans. This new AI-enhanced Windows computer will be released on June 18th on computers produced by Microsoft partners Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung, as well as Microsoft's Surface devices. However, it is limited to high-end models starting at $999.
