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Microsoft reveals PCs with AI capabilities

May 21, 2024

The American multinational corporation has unveiled a new category of personal computers with artificial intelligence capabilities. The tech giant said that the AI features will take place on the device itself.

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Microsoft Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella speaks during the Microsoft May 20 Briefing event at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella unveiled a new category of PC on Monday that features generative artificial intelligence tools built directly into WindowsImage: Jason Redmond/AFP/Getty Images

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Monday unveiled a new category of PCs with generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools built into the company's flagship Windows operating system.

"We are introducing an entirely new class of Windows PCs engineered to unleash the power" of on-device AI, Nadella said at a launch event in Redmond.

"We call this new category Copilot Plus... the fastest, most AI-ready Windows PCs ever built," he added.

While Copilot is rooted in OpenAI's large language models, Microsoft said the new AI PCs will also rely heavily on its own home-grown "small language models" that are designed to be more efficient on a consumer's personal device.

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What kind of AI tools will be on new PCs?

The AI offerings on the Copilot Plus PCs will include live translation, image generation, and a cutting-edge ability to interact with your computer using chat and simple prompts instead of clicking on files or drop-down menus.

The new features include Windows Recall, which gives the AI assistant what Microsoft calls a "photographic memory" of a person's virtual activity.

It's a step toward machines that "instantly see us, hear, reason about our intent and our surroundings," Nadella said.

"We're entering this new era where computers not only understand us, but actually anticipate what we want and our intent," he added.

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How much will new computers cost?

According to Microsoft, the AI features will take place on the device itself, so you won't have to wait for the data to be sent to and from remote data centers, or pay for a subscription.

Microsoft executives also said that GPT-4o, the latest technology from ChatGPT maker OpenAI, will be available "soon" as part of Microsoft Copilot.

The new computers will start at $1,000 (€921). The tech giant estimates that more than 50 million AI-enabled PCs will be sold in the next 12 months, given the appetite for devices with ChatGPT-style technology.

The newly AI-enhanced Windows PCs will start rolling out on June 18 on computers made by Microsoft partners Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung, as well as on Microsoft's Surface line of devices.

dh/jsi (AP, AFP, Reuters)