News from the AI & ML world
DeeperML - #microsoft
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Ken Yeung@Ken Yeung
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Microsoft is enhancing its Microsoft 365 Copilot with AI-powered "deep reasoning" capabilities, introducing specialized agents like 'Researcher' and 'Analyst'. These agents are designed to tackle complex problems with the same level of skill and nuance as seasoned professionals. The Researcher agent automates complex research tasks, delivering detailed reports by combining OpenAI's reasoning skills with Copilot's search capabilities. The Analyst agent acts as a skilled data scientist, transforming raw data into actionable insights using the o3-mini reasoning model and Python code execution.
These advancements aim to streamline workflows and provide users with valuable insights without requiring extensive technical expertise. Microsoft is also adding agent flows to Copilot Studio, combining AI flexibility with deterministic business process automation. This allows businesses to create smarter Copilots tailored to their specific workflows, enabling agents to follow a predefined sequence of actions for consistent results in structured tasks. The deep reasoning capabilities extend agents' abilities beyond simple task completion, enabling them to handle complex judgment and analytical work. Recommended read:
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Mike Wheatley@SiliconANGLE
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Microsoft is enhancing its Copilot AI assistant with advanced reasoning and agent capabilities aimed at boosting productivity across various Microsoft 365 applications. Key updates include deep reasoning within Copilot Studio and the introduction of specialized AI agents like Researcher and Analyst, designed to tackle complex problems and provide more nuanced insights. These agents leverage advanced reasoning models, such as OpenAI's o1 and o3-mini, to perform detailed analysis, methodical thinking, and data-driven decision-making, simulating the approach of skilled professionals.
Microsoft is also integrating its Security Copilot with AI agents to automate tasks. New agents being added to Security Copilot include ones designed to sort through large volumes of security info, analyze notifications, and fix insecure user access rules. Microsoft also released a new Knowledge Base-Augmented Language Models (KBLaM) system which is a more efficient way to incorporate external knowledge into language models. All of these tools are designed to give you the help you need faster. Recommended read:
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Vasu Jakkal@Microsoft Security Blog
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Microsoft has unveiled a significant expansion of its Security Copilot platform, integrating AI agents designed to automate security operations tasks and alleviate the workload on cybersecurity professionals. This move aims to address the increasing volume and complexity of cyberattacks, which are overwhelming security teams that rely on manual processes. The AI-powered agents will handle routine tasks, freeing up IT and security staff to tackle more complex issues and proactive security measures. Microsoft detected over 30 billion phishing emails targeting customers between January and December 2024 highlighting the urgent need for automated solutions.
The expansion includes eleven AI agents, six developed by Microsoft and five by security partners, set for preview in April 2025. Microsoft's agents include the Phishing Triage Agent in Microsoft Defender, Alert Triage Agents in Microsoft Purview, Conditional Access Optimization Agent in Microsoft Entra, Vulnerability Remediation Agent in Microsoft Intune, and Threat Intelligence Briefing Agent in Security Copilot. These agents are purpose-built for security, designed to learn from feedback, adapt to workflows, and operate securely within Microsoft’s Zero Trust framework, ensuring that security teams retain full control over their actions and responses. Recommended read:
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Ken Yeung@Ken Yeung
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Microsoft is enhancing its Copilot Studio with deep reasoning capabilities and agent flows, aiming to empower developers to create smarter copilots. These updates will enable the agents to tackle complex problems and automate business processes more effectively. The new features mark significant advancements in building and managing agents, combining enterprise business data with access to advanced reasoning models and workflows.
Microsoft also unveiled two specialized deep reasoning agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot, named Researcher and Analyst. The Researcher agent automates complex, multi-step research to deliver detailed reports, while the Analyst agent functions like a personal data scientist, processing diverse data sources and generating insights through code execution and visualization. These advancements position Microsoft ahead in the enterprise AI agent ecosystem, extending its lead with powerful new capabilities. Recommended read:
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Ken Yeung@Ken Yeung
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Microsoft is enhancing its Copilot Studio platform with new 'deep reasoning' capabilities, allowing AI agents to solve complex problems more effectively. This upgrade also includes 'agent flows' which blend AI's flexibility with structured business automation. The new Researcher and Analyst agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot represent a significant step forward in AI agent evolution, enabling them to handle sophisticated tasks requiring detailed analysis and methodical thinking.
Microsoft's Security Copilot service is also getting a boost with a set of AI agents designed to automate repetitive tasks, freeing up security professionals to focus on more critical threats. These AI agents are designed to assist with critical tasks such as phishing, data security, and identity management. These agents showcase the breadth of what can be created when combining enterprise business data, access to advanced reasoning models, and structured workflows. Recommended read:
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Thomas Wilde@GeekWire
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Microsoft has announced Copilot for Games, an AI assistant designed for Xbox users. Revealed on the Official Xbox Podcast, this tool aims to provide real-time game support, including tips and strategy guides. Initial feedback has been negative, with many expressing concerns about the tool's usefulness. The Copilot for Gaming feature is set to roll out for select Xbox Insiders in the coming weeks through the Xbox mobile app, with further details anticipated at GDC 2025.
Microsoft executives Fatima Kardar and Jason Ronald highlighted Copilot's potential to address common gaming frustrations, such as getting lost in old save files or hitting skill plateaus. The tool is designed to be a multi-device helper, accessible on both consoles and the Xbox mobile app. Copilot for Gaming will offer features like personalized game recommendations, save file progress recaps, and in-game tips for titles like Overwatch and Minecraft. Recommended read:
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alex.wawro@futurenet.com (Alex@tomsguide.com
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Microsoft is actively integrating AI across its product lines to enhance both functionality and security. One significant development involves the use of AI-powered Security Copilot to identify vulnerabilities in open-source bootloaders. This expedited discovery process has revealed 20 previously unknown vulnerabilities in GRUB2, U-Boot, and Barebox, which could impact systems relying on Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) Secure Boot. These vulnerabilities, particularly in GRUB2, could allow threat actors to bypass Secure Boot and install stealthy bootkits, potentially granting them complete control over affected devices.
Microsoft is also expanding AI capabilities on Copilot Plus PCs, particularly those powered by Intel and AMD processors. Features like Live Captions, which translates audio into English subtitles in real-time, as well as creative tools like Cocreator in Paint, Restyle Image, and Image Creator in Photos, are becoming more widely available. The company is additionally testing a new tool called Quick Machine Recovery, designed to remotely restore unbootable Windows 11 devices by automatically diagnosing and deploying fixes through Windows Update, preventing widespread outages similar to those experienced in the past. Recommended read:
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Vasu Jakkal@Microsoft Security Blog
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Microsoft and Google are enhancing their AI security measures and capabilities to address the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. Microsoft is prioritizing secure AI integration, focusing on data protection and ensuring AI systems are transparent and compliant. Microsoft Secure, an online event, showcased AI innovations for the security lifecycle, providing tools for smarter, faster, and stronger security. The event highlighted how to secure data used by AI, AI apps, and AI cloud workloads, as well as how to protect AI investments from cyberthreats through data security and compliance tools.
NASA is leveraging Microsoft AI capabilities through its new Earth Copilot to democratize access to complex Earth Science data. This empowers scientists to discover patterns and gain insights from the vast amount of data collected by NASA's satellites, which can inform policy decisions and support various industries. Meanwhile, Google is developing Gemini to enable it to take actions within apps, potentially transforming AI assistants into more useful tools. Google is also releasing the GEMMA-3 models to improve the capabilities of the Gemini project. Recommended read:
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Microsoft Threat@Microsoft Security Blog
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Microsoft has uncovered 20 previously unknown vulnerabilities in the GRUB2, U-Boot, and Barebox open-source bootloaders using its AI-powered Security Copilot. These bootloaders are critical components, with GRUB2 commonly used in Linux distributions like Ubuntu, and U-Boot and Barebox prevalent in embedded and IoT devices. The identified vulnerabilities include integer and buffer overflows in filesystem parsers, command flaws, and a side-channel in cryptographic comparison, potentially enabling threat actors to gain control and execute arbitrary code.
Water Gamayun, a suspected Russian hacking group, has been linked to the exploitation of CVE-2025-26633 (MSC EvilTwin) to deploy SilentPrism and DarkWisp. The group uses malicious provisioning packages, signed .msi files, and Windows MSC files to deliver information stealers and backdoors. These backdoors, SilentPrism and DarkWisp, enable persistence, system reconnaissance, data exfiltration, and remote command execution. The threat actors transitioned to their own infrastructure for staging and command-and-control purposes after using a GitHub repository to push various kinds of malware families. Recommended read:
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kevinokemwa@outlook.com (Kevin@windowscentral.com
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Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, has recently expressed his strong belief in the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) across various sectors. During an interview, Gates stated that AI could even lead to a two-day work week for professionals within the next decade, drastically altering the current work landscape. He highlighted AI's capability to automate tasks and streamline processes, ultimately freeing up individuals to focus on higher-value activities and potentially reducing the required work hours.
Gates also emphasized that humans won't be needed for most things in the future, as AI will be capable of handling repetitive tasks, making things, moving things, and growing food. Furthermore, Gates believes that AI can also significantly improve mental healthcare and education. He suggests AI could help individuals with mild symptoms, improve educational material, and change how creative work is done. Microsoft, which has a big stake in OpenAI, is all in on AI as well and is actively investing in and developing AI solutions. Recommended read:
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SGLang Team@PyTorch Website
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PyTorch Website
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Microsoft is advancing its AI capabilities with the integration of SGLang into the PyTorch ecosystem and the introduction of KBLaM. SGLang, now part of PyTorch, provides developers with a community-supported framework designed for efficient and adaptable serving of large language models (LLMs). By co-designing the backend runtime and frontend language, SGLang aims to accelerate model interactions and enhance controllability, supporting a wide array of models including Llama, Gemma, Mistral, and others. Its core features include a fast backend runtime with RadixAttention for prefix caching, a flexible frontend language for programming LLM applications, and extensive model support.
Introducing KBLaM, a novel approach to integrating structured knowledge into LLMs without retraining. KBLaM encodes knowledge into continuous key-value vector pairs, embedding them within the model’s attention layers using a specialized rectangular attention mechanism. This method allows for scalable knowledge integration, dynamically updating the LLM without the need for retraining. By converting external knowledge bases into a format LLMs can process, KBLaM enhances efficiency and scalability compared to traditional methods like fine-tuning and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Recommended read:
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Help Net@Help Net Security
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Microsoft is enhancing Windows 11 roadmap transparency with new initiatives to better inform IT professionals and users about upcoming features. The company has launched a new Windows roadmap website designed to simplify the tracking of new Windows 11 features. This move addresses a key criticism regarding the lack of clarity around the testing and rollout phases of new functionalities. Microsoft aims to provide IT administrators with more insights, enabling them to effectively manage changes across their Windows estates.
The new roadmap consolidates information from various sources, including the Windows Insider Program and Microsoft's support site, offering a unified view of in-development features. Users can filter features based on platform, Windows versions, and rollout status, gaining insights into descriptions, release dates, and compatibility details. While the roadmap currently focuses on the client version of Windows 11, Microsoft plans to expand it to include other Windows versions in the future and is accepting feedback to further improve the tool's utility. Recommended read:
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Matt Marshall@AI News | VentureBeat
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AI News | VentureBeat
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Microsoft is introducing two new AI reasoning agents, Researcher and Analyst, to Microsoft 365 Copilot. These "first-of-their-kind" agents are designed to tackle complex problems by utilizing methodical thinking, offering users a more efficient workflow. The Researcher agent combines OpenAI’s deep research model with Microsoft 365 Copilot’s advanced orchestration and search capabilities to deliver insights with greater quality and accuracy, helping users perform complex, multi-step research.
Analyst, built on OpenAI’s o3-mini reasoning model, functions like a skilled data scientist and is optimized for advanced data analysis. It uses chain-of-thought reasoning to iteratively refine its analysis and provide high-quality answers, mirroring human analytical thinking. This agent can run Python to tackle complex data queries and can turn raw data scattered across spreadsheets into visualizations or revenue projections. Researcher and Analyst will be available to customers with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license in April as part of a new “Frontier” program. Recommended read:
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c.cale.hunt@gmail.com (Cale@windowscentral.com
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Microsoft 365 Blog
, www.techrepublic.com
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Microsoft is pushing forward on multiple fronts, enhancing both its AI capabilities and graphics technology. A significant collaboration with NVIDIA is underway, aiming to create more efficient AI systems. This partnership leverages the strengths of both companies to deliver what they're calling a "Significant Leap Forward" in AI. NVIDIA’s GTC 2025 event put this collaboration in the spotlight, focusing on integrating Blackwell with Azure to further boost AI performance and accessibility.
Microsoft also recently introduced DirectX Raytracing 1.2 (DXR 1.2), promising substantial improvements in gaming visuals and performance. The DXR 1.2 update aims to change the face of gaming, with claims of up to 2.3x performance gains in path-traced games. Microsoft Principal Program Manager Cassie Hoef stated that the update promises "groundbreaking performance improvements and breathtaking visual fidelity." This update will affect partners like NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, who utilize Microsoft's tools to integrate the latest tech into their hardware and games. Recommended read:
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Ken Yeung@Ken Yeung
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Microsoft is launching a 50-day AI Skills Fest, starting April 8, 2025, aimed at helping individuals advance their technical knowledge in artificial intelligence. The global event will feature a wide array of activities including hackathons, both live in-person and virtual events, self-paced tutorials, and community events. Microsoft hopes to set a Guinness World Record for the most participants completing an online multi-level AI lesson in 24 hours as part of the inaugural launch.
Microsoft is also rolling out updates to its Copilot+ PCs. AMD and Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs will gain access to Windows Copilot features like Cocreator, Image Creator, Live Captions and Restyle Image, previously available only on Snapdragon-powered devices. These features utilize the onboard Neural Processing Unit (NPU) and generative AI to enhance user experiences within Microsoft Paint and Photos, enabling image generation and modification. Recommended read:
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mpesce@Windows Copilot News
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Microsoft is actively enhancing its Copilot service with regular updates, introducing new features and improvements. Recent updates, as of March 19, 2025, include Copilot Vision which is now available on Android devices for Pro subscribers in the United States, allowing users to leverage their phone's camera for assistance. Copilot Vision access in Edge has expanded to all free users in the U.S., enabling the AI to scan, analyze, and provide insights from webpages. Additionally, the "Think Deeper" reasoning model has been upgraded to OpenAI's o3-mini (high), leading to faster and more flexible responses to complex questions.
Microsoft is also making strides in AI research and security. Microsoft Research has developed a more efficient method for incorporating external knowledge into language models, called KBLaM, which uses vector pairs woven directly into the model's architecture. This system offers faster and more efficient responses by processing knowledge directly within the model. Furthermore, Microsoft is expanding its Security Copilot service with new AI agents designed to help IT teams manage increasing security threats, with 11 agents being added in an April preview, designed to improve security outcomes at machine speed and scale. Recommended read:
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Pierluigi Paganini@Security Affairs
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securityaffairs.com
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Researchers have uncovered a new attack technique targeting AI code editors like GitHub Copilot and Cursor. Dubbed the "Rules File Backdoor," this method allows attackers to inject malicious code into AI-generated code, leading to silent compromise through a supply chain vulnerability. By manipulating the rules files that guide AI coding assistants, hackers can circumvent security checks and generate code that exposes sensitive information.
This involves embedding crafted prompts within seemingly benign rule files, causing the AI tool to generate code containing vulnerabilities or backdoors. The attackers can also use zero-width joiners, bidirectional text markers, and other invisible characters to conceal malicious instructions, tricking the AI into overriding ethical and safety constraints. Successful exploitation could expose database credentials, API keys, and other sensitive details. GitHub and Cursor have emphasized that users are responsible for reviewing AI-generated code. Experts urge developers to carefully evaluate rules files for malicious injections, bolster examination of AI configuration files and AI-generated code, and leverage automated detection tools. Once a poisoned rule file is incorporated into a project repository, it affects all future code-generation sessions by team members and also survive project forking, creating a vector for supply chain attacks that can affect downstream dependencies and end users. Recommended read:
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Matt Marshall@AI News | VentureBeat
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Microsoft Security Blog
, www.zdnet.com
Microsoft is enhancing its Copilot Studio platform with AI-driven improvements, introducing deep reasoning capabilities that enable agents to tackle intricate problems through methodical thinking and combining AI flexibility with deterministic business process automation. The company has also unveiled specialized deep reasoning agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot, named Researcher and Analyst, to help users achieve tasks more efficiently. These agents are designed to function like personal data scientists, processing diverse data sources and generating insights through code execution and visualization.
Microsoft's focus includes securing AI and using it to bolster security measures, as demonstrated by the upcoming Microsoft Security Copilot agents and new security features. Microsoft aims to provide an AI-first, end-to-end security platform that helps organizations secure their future, one example being the AI agents designed to autonomously assist with phishing, data security, and identity management. The Security Copilot tool will automate routine tasks, allowing IT and security staff to focus on more complex issues, aiding in defense against cyberattacks. Recommended read:
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mpesce@Windows Copilot News
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blogs.microsoft.com
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Microsoft is aggressively pushing forward with AI agent deployments across various platforms. The company is enabling developers to easily build AI agents using OpenAI's new Responses API and Agents SDK. This move aims to simplify the creation of AI-powered assistants capable of tasks like summarizing financials, conducting legal research, and providing real-time customer service.
NASA's Earth Copilot, powered by Microsoft AI, is democratizing access to complex Earth Science data collected by satellites. This initiative allows users to navigate over 100 petabytes of data for various applications, including monitoring wildfires, tracking climate change, and supporting industries like agriculture and urban planning. Additionally, Microsoft has released autonomous Copilot AI agents in public preview, enabling chatbots to perform a series of linked tasks based on user instructions. These agents are designed to automate workflows and handle tasks like sourcing sales leads, managing customer service inquiries, and tracking project deadlines. Recommended read:
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matthewthomas@Microsoft Industry Blogs
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, The Quantum Insider
Microsoft is emphasizing both AI security and advancements in quantum computing. The company is integrating AI features across its products and services, including Microsoft 365, while also highlighting the critical intersection of AI innovation and security. Microsoft will host Microsoft Secure on April 9th, an online event designed to help professionals discover AI innovations for the security lifecycle. Attendees can learn how to harden their defenses, secure AI investments, and discover AI-first tools and best practices.
Microsoft is also continuing its work in quantum computing, recently defending its topological qubit claims at the American Physical Society (APS) meeting. While Microsoft maintains confidence in its results, skepticism remains within the scientific community regarding the verification methods used, particularly the reliability of the topological gap protocol (TGP) in detecting Majorana quasiparticles. Chetan Nayak, a leading theoretical physicist at Microsoft, presented the company’s findings, acknowledging the skepticism but insisting that the team is confident. Recommended read:
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Cyril Belikoff@The Microsoft Cloud Blog
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The Microsoft Cloud Blog
Microsoft is highlighting Founderz, an online learning platform that has quickly become a leader in AI skilling. Founderz aims to bridge the growing AI skills gap, a challenge highlighted by the IDC Business Opportunity of AI Study, which found that 45% of business leaders feel their workforce lacks the necessary knowledge and skills to implement AI effectively. Microsoft is addressing this gap through initiatives like the Microsoft AI Skills Fest and by supporting innovative organizations.
Founderz was accepted into the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, gaining access to AI services, expert guidance, and technology. This included USD150,000 in Microsoft Azure credits, allowing them to scale their platform and refine their AI-powered learning model. Co-founders Anna Cejudo and Pau Garcia-Mila envisioned an online business education that mirrored the depth and collaboration of top business schools, but in a scalable and accessible format built for the AI era. Recommended read:
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Ken Yeung@Ken Yeung
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Microsoft's former CTO, Nathan Myhrvold, believes that artificial intelligence is still in its early stages, comparing it to personal computers in the 1980s. While impressed with AI's potential, he suggests that it needs "three to five miracles" to reach human-level intelligence and be truly transformative. Myhrvold emphasizes that, similar to the early days of personal computing, AI is currently good for a number of things, but significant breakthroughs are still required to unlock its full capabilities.
Microsoft is actively integrating AI into various platforms, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, designed to enhance productivity and efficiency, especially in education. St Francis College educators reported saving an average of 9.3 hours weekly during a Copilot trial, allowing them to focus more on teaching and student growth. Copilot Chat provides AI assistance for everyday tasks, while Microsoft 365 Copilot offers additional features to transform educational experiences, streamlining communication, administrative tasks, and lesson planning across applications like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Teams. Recommended read:
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mpesce@Windows Copilot News
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Windows Copilot News
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Microsoft's AI chief, Mustafa Suleyman, believes that conversational AI represents the future of web interaction, comparing it to the next generation of web browsers and search engines. He envisions a future where users can easily obtain information and assistance by simply using voice commands to interact with AI assistants like Copilot. Suleyman emphasizes the potential for conversational AI to become significantly more user-friendly, making it a go-to tool for a wide range of tasks.
Microsoft is actively developing new features for Copilot, including animated avatars for Voice Mode. Users can select between characters like Mika, Aqua, and Erin, each with a potentially unique voice, to personalize their experience. In addition, Microsoft Research has introduced Claimify, an innovative method that leverages large language models to extract more accurate and comprehensive claims from LLM outputs, enhancing the reliability of AI-generated content. Recommended read:
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Emily Forlini@PCMag Middle East ai
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PCMag Middle East ai
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Microsoft has released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, introducing AI-driven Priority Notifications. This new feature utilizes Apple Intelligence to organize the lock screen, allowing users to quickly identify and address the most urgent notifications. Priority Notifications are designed to highlight important items that demand immediate attention, streamlining the process of managing incoming alerts on iPhones, iPads, and Macs. The update also brings Apple Intelligence to Vision Pro and the EU.
The iOS 18.4 update includes several other enhancements and additions. A new "Sketch" style is now available in Image Playground, offering users the ability to create detailed sketch drawings. For Vision Pro users, Apple Intelligence features are now accessible on the headset, accompanied by a new Vision Pro app for iPhone. The app facilitates the discovery of new content and spatial experiences, providing easy access to device information. Additionally, Apple News+ now features recipes from top publishers, enhancing the food section with stories, kitchen tips, and healthy eating options. Recommended read:
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