Microsoft wants to bring generative AI to the forefront of Windows — and the PCs that run it.
Ahead of its annual Build developer conference this week, the company unveiled a new line of Windows machines called Copilot+ PCs, and AI-powered features like Recall that help users find apps, files and other content they’ve viewed. In the past. Copilot, Microsoft’s brand of generative AI, will soon be more deeply integrated into the Windows 11 experience. More new Microsoft Surface devices are coming.
We have compiled all the important announcements here.
CoPilot+ PCs
Copilot+ PCs are Microsoft’s vision of AI-first, flagship Windows hardware. All include dedicated chips called NPUs to deliver AI experiences similar to Recall. And they ship with at least 16GB of RAM paired with SSD storage.
The first Copilot+ PCs will pack Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite and Plus chips, which Microsoft says offer up to 15 hours of web browsing and 20 hours of video battery life. Chipmakers Intel and AMD have committed to developing processors for CoPilot+ devices, along with several manufacturers including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung.
Copilot+ PCs start at $999, and some are available for pre-order today.
Surface Pro and Surface Laptop
Microsoft’s newly released Surface devices, the Surface Laptop and Surface Pro, focus on performance and battery.
The latest Surface Laptop — available with a 13.8- or 15-inch display — has been redesigned with “modern lines” and thinner screen bezels. The company says it lasts up to 22 hours on a charge and is 86% faster than the Surface Laptop 5. It supports Wi-Fi 7 and has a haptic feedback touchpad.
As for the new Surface Pro, Microsoft says it’s 90% faster than the previous-gen Surface Pro (Surface Pro 9), and has an HDR display, Wi-Fi 7 (and optional 5G), and a new OLED. Improved ultrawide front-facing camera. Also, its detachable keyboard – which is reinforced with extra carbon fiber – now has haptic feedback.
Remember
Windows 11’s upcoming Recall feature will allow users to “remember” apps and content they accessed on their PC weeks or months ago, for example, enabling them to find a Discord chat discussing the clothes they bought. Users can use Recall’s timeline to “go back” to see what they were working on in the past and retrieve information relevant to their searches in files such as PowerPoint presentations.
Microsoft says Recall can make connections between colors, images, and more so users can search for practically anything on their computers in natural language (not unlike startup rewind technology). The company says all user data associated with the recall is kept private and on-device — and crucially not used to train AI models.
Here it is Further From Microsoft: “Your snapshots are yours; They are located locally on your computer. You can delete individual snapshots, adjust and delete time limits in settings, or pause at any time from the icon in the system tray on your taskbar. You can always filter apps and websites that aren’t saved.”
Image editing and live translation
Windows has more AI now than ever before, and some are only available on newer Copilot+ PCs.
A new feature called Super Resolution can restore old photos by automatically upscaling them. And Copilot can now analyze images to give users ideas for creative compositions. With a feature called Cocreator, users can create images and ask an AI model to follow their drawing to alter or rearrange the image.
Elsewhere, Live Subtitles with Live Translations translates any audio passing through the PC — whether from YouTube or a local file — into the language of the user’s choice. Live Translations will initially support around 40 languages, including English, Spanish, Mandarin and Russian.
Windows Copilot runtime
Powering such capabilities as recall and super-resolution is the Windows Copilot Runtime, a suite of ~40 generative AI models that Microsoft describes as the “new layer” of Windows. Combined with Semantic Index, a vector-based system built into the personal Copilot+ PC, the Windows Copilot Runtime allows AI-powered applications – including third-party applications – to run without the need for an Internet connection.
Capcut, a popular video editor from TikTok owner Byte Dance, will use the Windows Copilot runtime to accelerate its AI features, Microsoft says.
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