On 20th May (local time), Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella shared details about the latest advancements in Windows that emphasised the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create, what Microsoft has termed, “Copilot+PCs”. In a discussion with Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern, Nadella shared how these AI-powered PCs would redefine user experience with innovative features and enhanced performances.
Microsoft on Monday introduced a new range of AI powered devices called the Copilot+PC. One of the aspects of the discussion was the new screenshot capability of the Copilot+PCs powered by advanced AI technology and the inclusion of a neural processing unit (NPU). The feature has been named “Recall” by Microsoft.
It will take periodic screenshots of the work you are doing on your PC to keep a record of your past activities locally on the PC. This feature will make it possible to find and recreate moments from the users’ digital history.
Notably, Apple had gotten a leg up on its Windows counterparts with the switch from Intel to its own ARM based M series chipsets. Now, Microsoft is trying to bring on the competition with the addition of Snapdragon’s ARM-based chipset, which are touted to be around 58% faster and 20% longer battery life than the MacBook Air with M3 chipset.
The Redmond based company is also introducing a new AI feature, which in the words of CEO Satya Nadella, will provide ‘photographic memory’ to the new laptops. The feature called ‘Recall’ will allow users to remember things that they have previously seen on their PCs by navigating across different apps, websites or documents.
The feature essentially takes screenshots of everything that’s on a user’s screen and then uses the power of generative AI to help navigate the thing that the user may be looking for.
While talking about the new feature in an interaction with the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said, “One of the dreams we’ve always had is how do we introduce photographic memory into what you do on the PC and now we have it. So it’s called recall, not keyword search, right? It’s semantic search over all your history. And it’s not just about any document, we can recreate moments from the past.
Microsoft explained that the new feature works on the user’s personal semantic index and leverages the small language model inside the laptop to complete the tasks on-device.
Moreover, the company also states that all the screenshots are saved on device and processed through the on-device model in order to enhance user’s privacy. The company also stated that users will have the ability to stop a particular app or website from being tracked by the AI or turn off the feature altogether.
Speaking on the privacy aspect of the feature, Nadella said that all the processing will be done locally on the device. It will ensure users’ data security. Furthermore, users will have the capability to restrict which apps and websites can be included in the screenshot history. Also, they can switch off the feature entirely with a few clicks.
Apart from the Recall feature, the new Microsoft devices come packed with features like co-creator and live translation. Co-creator is an enhanced “Paint” application that allows users to generate images based on sketches and text prompts. Live translation is capable of translating video calls and conversations from 44 different languages. Microsoft has embedded a language model locally on the device for the live translation to work.
_image source : https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/11/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-on-the-advice-that-shaped-his-leadership.html
