Microsoft is undoubtedly the leader in the AI space right now, constantly releasing new products and updates to stay ahead of the curve. So it’s no surprise that the company attended the March Surface and Windows AI events this week and announced some new AI features and hardware.
Also: Microsoft announces Surface Pro 10 and Laptop 6 with AI features.Here’s what’s new
As implied by Microsoft’s event description, “Powering a new era of work with Copilot,” the event focused specifically on the company’s AI services for enterprise customers. Instead, Microsoft Build in May will feature announcements that are more relevant to general consumers. Until then, here’s everything the company announced at the Surface event.
1. Copilot for Microsoft 365 is now available on Windows
The highlight of the AI news at the event is that Microsoft 365’s Copilot feature is finally coming to Windows. This is a huge benefit for working professionals, as they can enable Copilot for Microsoft 365 by selecting the “Work” option within the Windows Copilot interface, as seen in the photo above.
Related article: Microsoft Copilot and Copilot Pro: Are they worth the subscription fee?
Copilot in Microsoft 365 embeds Copilot assistance into all 365 applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more, to help you with tasks like creating PowerPoint presentations, writing assistance, and interpreting spreadsheet data. Bring about change. . Essentially, Copilot can understand your entire work data to provide deeper assistance.
2. New Copilot accessibility features in Windows 11
At the end of the month, we’ll be releasing a new release of Windows 11 Preview with many new Copilot skills for accessibility. For example, users will be able to ask her Copilot to turn on narrator or screen magnifier, change text size, or start live captioning.
Also: Windows 11’s big new update is packed with AI and is rolling out now – here’s what’s in it
By asking Copilot to adjust PC settings, users can have more control over their devices, and instead of having to navigate through a series of different tabs to find what they’re specifically looking for, they can easily adjust important settings. will be easily accessible.
3. The first AI-powered Surface PC for business
After launching the Surface Pro 9 or Surface Laptop 5 two years ago, Microsoft has finally announced its successors, the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6. As this was Microsoft’s first hardware launch in the AI PC era, the business device received internal upgrades, including new processors, to better support AI and productivity tasks.
Also: Surface vs. MacBook: Can Microsoft’s new Arm-based AI PC compete with Apple?
Both models feature new Intel Core Ultra (5 or 7) processors with a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU), which improves the device’s performance and battery efficiency, especially when performing AI-related tasks. To do. As you can see in the photo above, the Surface device looks relatively unchanged.
For more information on new product features, read ZDNET’s Senior Reviews Editor Kerry Wan’s roundup.
4. Windows 365 GPU support
Although this feature does not use AI, it is certainly useful for tasks related to AI. Windows 365 GPU has the potential to improve the workflow of many professionals by giving users access to GPU-equipped cloud PCs. The increased graphics performance of these machines is essential for tasks that require more power, such as graphics design, image and video editing (and rendering), and more.
Microsoft says Windows 365 GPU support, currently available in preview, has been requested by customers who want access to GPUs in their Software-as-a-Service solutions.
5. First Copilot key on your Microsoft device
It wouldn’t be an AI PC launch without mentioning the Copilot key. The new Surface device pictured above and the new Surface Pro keyboard include a dedicated He Copilot key to make it easier for users to directly access His AI assistance. It will certainly be useful even for Windows users who do not have a modern PC or Surface device can access this feature by clicking on his Copilot icon in the Windows 11 taskbar.
