Microsoft Ignite, the annual technology conference for IT professionals and developers, is this year's showcase for groundbreaking innovations in artificial intelligence. Key updates affected the company's popular products, such as Windows, Microsoft 365 and Azure. Particular attention was paid to integrating AI into Microsoft's products.
Bing Chat update: meet Copilot
One of the most notable changes is to Bing Chat, Microsoft's AI chatbot. Renamed Copilot in Bing, it gained more independence from the search engine. This move strengthens its position in competition with powerful and popular products such as ChatGPT. Copilot is available for Windows. Corporate subscription holders can use it for free.
Innovative chips with AI focus
Microsoft showed off two innovative chips designed specifically for data centers:
- Azure Maia 100 is an AI accelerator designed to train and run artificial intelligence models.
- Azure Cobalt 100 is a processor designed to run a wide range of workloads.
New AI tools for Copilot
Microsoft has introduced a number of new tools for Copilot that expand its functionality:
- Copilot for Azure is a chat assistant for users of the Azure cloud platform.
- Copilot for Service is a customer service tool that answers frequently asked questions.
- Copilot in Dynamics 365 Guides is a mixed reality service that provides technical information in the format of holograms superimposed on production equipment.
- Copilot Studio is a service for creating personalized chatbots based on natural language.
Innovations in Microsoft Teams: interior decorator and voice isolation
Microsoft Teams will soon get a “Decorate your background” feature that will allow the user to change the background during video calls. The AI will analyze the surrounding space, “clean” it, and add decorative elements to it. In addition, Teams will feature a noise reduction feature powered by artificial intelligence. It will reduce background noise and muffle extraneous voices.
Azure AI Speech: create realistic avatars
Azure AI Speech is an advanced solution for converting text into live speech and creating impressively realistic animated human avatars. This tool will be especially useful for those looking for a virtual assistant or conversational bot. In response to public concerns about the potential for avatars to be used to create deepfakes, Microsoft's development team has confirmed that it will implement strict security measures to prevent this type of abuse.
Microsoft Ignite 2023 demonstrated that Microsoft is confidently setting new standards in the IT world with advanced innovations and meaningful updates. Its products make work easier and revolutionize how users interact with technology in everyday life.