Microsoft Build is a much-anticipated annual event among software developers and technology enthusiasts. Hosted by Microsoft, it’s the platform where the tech giant unveils many of its most innovative tools, and services. This year, at Microsoft Build 2023, artificial intelligence took center stage, with Microsoft unveiling several exciting solutions for extending the use of AI across its applications and services.
Top 4 innovations at Microsoft Build 2023
As always, Microsoft Build was full of announcements and jammed packed with innovative solutions. The tech company had a clear focus on artificial intelligence and many of the announcements were centered around its AI assistant, Copilot. To keep you in the loop, we have summarized the event’s most significant highlights.
1 – Bing becomes the go-to Search engine for ChatGPT
Following Microsoft’s substantial financial commitment to OpenAI, Bing will now be the default search engine for the ChatGPT chatbot. Anyone with a ChatGPT Plus subscription can start using this feature right away. At the top of the chat, where you switch between ChatGPT 3.5 and ChatGPT 4, you click GPT 4 and then select Bing mode.
So why is this a big deal? The AI can look up information in real-time which means it can deliver more up-to-date answers. Previously ChatGPT has been limited to data from 2021 and it was unable to access anything newer than that. You can now ask it to recap events that are happening right now for you.
2 – Microsoft 365 Copilot gets plugin support
Copilot is an AI personal assistant that was previously integrated into Microsoft 365 and the Office apps. The assistant is getting an upgrade in the form of plug-ins. For starters, it will accommodate three different types: Teams messages extensions, Power Platform connectors, and tools utilizing ChatGPT. On top of that, you’re going to be able to access third-party plug-ins which undoubtedly is going to see a rapidly growing supply.
What’s more, Microsoft pledges to construct all its Copilot and Bing Chat plug-ins using the ChatGPT standard established by OpenAI. In short, that means that a plug-in developed for ChatGPT should be compatible with both Copilot and Bing Chat.
3 – AI to be built into Windows 11 with Copilot
There were a lot of exciting updates surrounding Copilot. Now, it’s making its debut on Windows 11. The innovative assistant will be accessible via the taskbar, and clicking it brings up the Copilot sidebar. You can prompt it to condense, interpret or rewrite the application you are currently using. You could also utilize it to quickly change up the system settings. Public testing of the feature is expected to commence in June before being launched to a wider audience.
Windows 11 will also witness other minor updates, such as Bluetooth LE support, enabling high-quality audio without excessive battery use. Additional improvements include support for ten more languages in the “live captions” feature and native RGB controls.
4 – Edge to host 365 Copilot Integration
Copilot is not only being added to Windows 11, it’s coming to Microsoft Edge as well. The 365 version of Copilot will be residing within the browser’s sidebar, In Edge, the tool will leverage the content on the webpage you’re browsing to assist with the tasks you are performing simultaneously in Microsoft 365 apps, like Outlook, Word, and Excel.
Among other things, the tool is anticipated to help you with drafting emails, structuring spreadsheets, and creating status updates based on chat threads. The integration will also support the previously mentioned plug-ins that are being introduced to 365 Copilot.
