Microsoft concluded its annual Build 2024 developer conference on Monday, following the unveiling of the new Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite/Plus processors. CEO Satya Nadella delivered the keynote address, highlighting several exciting updates and new solutions.
AI Enhancements Across Microsoft Products
Microsoft is integrating AI agents into more of its products and services. These AI agents function like virtual employees, capable of monitoring emails, performing automated tasks, and assisting with employee onboarding. These features will be available through Copilot Studio later this year.
New Features in Microsoft Teams and Windows
The Microsoft Teams meeting app will soon allow users to create and share custom emojis. Additionally, the Windows clipboard will gain generative AI capabilities powered by OpenAI models. The clipboard will also feature advanced copy and paste functions via PowerToys, enabling users to summarize, translate, rewrite, or generate code based on the provided context.
File Explorer Enhancements
Windows 11’s File Explorer is set to receive a project tracking feature with GitHub repository integration. It will also gain native support for 7-zip and TAR compression formats.
Introduction of Snapdragon Dev Kit for Windows
Microsoft introduced the Snapdragon Dev Kit, a mini PC powered by the Snapdragon X Elite processor, priced at $899. It features 32 GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal storage, resembling a Mac Mini. This device is designed for developers to build and test native ARM64 apps for Windows 11.
Developer-Centric Announcements
Several announcements were made for developers, including new GitHub Copilot extensions. These include GitHub Copilot for Azure, which allows customization using third-party services like Docker and Sentry. Azure AI Studio is now available to everyone, and Microsoft is expanding its suite of Responsible AI tools with over 90 new features, including Azure AI Content Safety. Developers can now access OpenAI’s latest flagship model GPT-4 through Azure AI Studio and as an API.
New AI Models and Edge Browser Updates
Microsoft unveiled a new multimodal AI model called Phi-3-vision, capable of processing text and images. This small language model (SLM) can run natively on mobile devices with a dedicated NPU. Additionally, Microsoft’s Edge web browser will soon feature real-time translation for YouTube videos, supporting languages such as Spanish, English, German, Hindi, Italian, and Russian.
These announcements underscore Microsoft’s commitment to advancing AI capabilities and providing robust tools for developers, enhancing the functionality and versatility of its platforms and services.
