Microsoft Build 2023: It’s AI, AI, and AI
The Microsoft Build 2023 is a wrap. Just like the Google I/O that just concluded, Microsoft is also all about AI this year.
Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft, speaks at the opening ceremony of Microsoft Build. Courtesy of Microsoft
The two letters, A and I, sum up the major shift in technology this year. The annual Microsoft Build conference which just concluded on the 25th was also all about AI.
Microsoft Build is designed to announce new features for its platforms and offer comprehensive sessions for developers and professionals who depend on its tools.
Surrounding the AI approach, Microsoft announced two key concepts at Microsoft Build 2023: Copilot and plugin. Copilots, such as GitHub Copilot, leverage AI to assist with complex tasks, representing a paradigm shift in AI-powered software development. Plugins, introduced for ChatGPT and Bing, enable AI systems to interact with other software and services, expanding their capabilities and connecting them with the digital world.
More AI Copilots
The Copilot is Microsoft’s AI assistant that helps with complex tasks. It has already been integrated into several Microsoft products including Dynamics 365 Copilot, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Copilot for Power Platform. Microsoft Build introduces the latest Copilot for Windows 11. It will be integrated into the taskbar for easier access. By clicking open the Copilot sidebar, users can request text summarization, rewriting, and explanations within any of their active applications, as well as make adjustments to their computer settings. Microsoft plans to begin public testing of this feature next month, with a gradual rollout to a wider user base.
Meanwhile, Microsoft is also bringing the 365 Copilot to its browser, Edge, in its sidebar. This feature uses the website data that users view to provide assistance in working on projects across various Microsoft 365 applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and more. This tool will come in handy when drafting emails, inputting data into spreadsheets, creating status updates based on chat threads, and performing other related tasks. It will also support the plug-ins that are being introduced to enhance the functionality of 365 Copilot.
AI plug-ins
Microsoft is adopting an open plug-in standard, which means the plug-ins could operate across its Copilot offerings. “Developers can now use one platform to build plugins that work across both consumer and business surfaces, including ChatGPT, Bing, Dynamics 365 Copilot, and Microsoft 365 Copilot,” its blog reads. More than 50 plugins from partners, including Atlassian, Adobe, ServiceNow, and Thomson Reuters, will be available, with thousands more expected by the general availability of Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Azure gets updated
Microsoft’s Azure is a cloud computing platform. Microsoft is also introducing new Azure AI tooling, including Azure AI Studio for integrating external data sources, and Azure Machine Learning prompt flow for easier prompt construction and orchestration.
The Azure OpenAI Service brings together advanced models including ChatGPT and GPT-4. Microsoft is updating it to enable developers to deploy the most cutting-edge AI models using their own data; a Provisioned Throughput SKU that offers dedicated capacity; and plugins that simplify integrating other external data sources into a customer’s use of Azure OpenAI Service. “We now have more than 4,500 customers using Azure OpenAI Service,” says its blog.
Microsoft Fabric
During the Microsoft Build event, Microsoft unveiled a cutting-edge addition to its lineup: Microsoft Fabric. This unified platform for analytics encompasses a wide range of capabilities, including data engineering, data integration, data warehousing, data science, real-time analytics, applied observability, and business intelligence. The entire platform is seamlessly connected to a single data repository known as OneLake.
AI safety
Like many other key players in the generative AI game, Microsoft also highlights the importance of AI responsibilities. The Azure AI Content Safety is integrated across Microsoft products to create safer online environments. In addition to updates in Azure, Microsoft also updated new media provenance capabilities in Microsoft Designer and Bing Image Creator in the near future so that users can verify AI-generated images or videos. The technology uses cryptographic methods to mark and sign AI-generated content with metadata about its origin.
