Microsoft Surface & AI event 2023 highlights: Copilot, all latest updates & AI innovations

In a recent event that was held on 21 September 2023, tech giant Microsoft unveiled exciting updates that are set to enhance the user experience across its products and services. These announcements include a powerful new AI tool, a significant update to Windows 11, and the introduction of new Surface devices. These advancements highlight Microsoft's commitment to providing cutting-edge technologies for a better user experience.

Copilot: A unified AI experience

Microsoft introduced a groundbreaking AI tool called 'Copilot,' designed to work seamlessly across various Microsoft applications, including Bing, the Edge browser, and the Microsoft 365 software suite.

Copilot will be integrated with the latest Windows 11 update, scheduled for release on 26 September 2023. The upcoming Windows 11 upgrade is poised to deliver AI-driven enhancements to popular applications such as Paint, Snippet, Photos, and Clipchamp, offering more than 150 new features and capabilities. These updates are as follows:

- Paint enhancements: Paint now integrates AI for drawing and digital creativity. It introduces features like background removal and layer support. Moreover, a preview of 'Cocreator' brings the capabilities of generative AI to the Paint app.

- Photos app upgrades: The Photos app receives AI enhancements for effortless photo editing. ‘Background Blur’ enables users to make subjects in photos stand out by automatically highlighting them and blurring the background. Improved search functionality allows users to quickly find photos based on their content or location, especially for photos stored in OneDrive accounts.

-Snipping tool enhancements: The Snipping Tool offers more options for capturing screen content. Users can now extract specific text from images for pasting into other applications.

Additionally, it provides text redaction features to protect sensitive information. The update also introduces sound capture with audio and microphone support, simplifying the creation of videos and content from the screen.

- Clipchamp's auto compose: Clipchamp now includes an 'auto-compose' feature that suggests scenes, edits, and narratives based on your images and footage. This automates video creation and editing, making it easy for users to create and share professional-quality videos on social media and with friends and family.

- Notepad improvements: Notepad now automatically saves your session state, allowing you to close it without interruption. When you return, it restores previously open tabs and unsaved content and edits across those tabs. This streamlines the writing and editing process for users.

For those eagerly awaiting its arrival, Copilot will be available as part of Microsoft 365 Copilot starting 1 November 2023.

Microsoft's AI release

Building on its commitment to artificial intelligence, Microsoft also announced that its Bing search engine will incorporate OpenAI's DALL-E 3, an advanced AI system capable of generating images. This move underscores Microsoft's dedication to integrating generative AI technology across a wide range of its products and services.

New Surface devices

Microsoft revealed three new laptops and an upgraded interactive whiteboard. These include Surface Laptop Go 3, Surface Laptop Studio 2, Surface Go 4 For Business, and Surface Hub 3 (the latest iteration of its interactive whiteboard).

 

Leadership transition

The event also marked a leadership transition at Microsoft. Panos Panay, the company's long-serving product chief, stepped down, making way for Yusuf Mehdi, the head of consumer marketing, to take over the Surface and Windows businesses. This change signals Microsoft's commitment to working closely with external PC manufacturers and retail partners.

It is anticipated that Microsoft's keen interest in AI integration will attract the attention of its rival Big Tech companies, like Apple and Alphabet. Microsoft's ongoing innovation positions it as a prominent player in the technology sector as customers eagerly adopt the newest products driven by generative AI.