Microsoft Build 2024: Everything you need to know

The Microsoft Build event kicked off with an opening keynote from CEO Satya Nadella focused on the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) vision and tools for developers.

The company, like just about everyone else in the industry, is charging hard at cramming AI into every nook and cranny it can find.

Watch the Microsoft Build 2024

Copilot+

During the two-hour event, Microsoft introduced a new category of Windows PCs called Copilot+ PCs.

This allows users to find everything they have seen when using their computer. Copilot+ PCs organize information based on relationships and associations and allow users to scroll through a timeline of their work across every application, website, and document.

It also introduced Copilot stack on Windows, which includes a fundamental transformation of the OS to enable the acceleration of AI development.

The company also showcased the Snapdragon Dev Kit for Windows which has the same Snapdragon X Elite System on Chip (SoC) including the NPU that powers the Copilot+ PC.

ALSO READ: WATCH: OpenAI unveils GPT-4o, a new ChatGPT that listens and talks

GitHub

The GitHub is bringing the world’s external knowledge directly into GitHub Copilot.

Now, users can customize GitHub Copilot with capabilities from first- and third-party services like Docker, Sentry, and many more. A new extension, GitHub Copilot for Azure, allows users to instantly deploy to Azure using just natural language.

Translation

Microsoft’s Edge browser is getting an AI-powered real-time video translation feature that can dub videos from sites like YouTube, LinkedIn, and even Coursera.

The feature works with a handful of languages, offering translation from Spanish to English or vice versa — or from English to German, Hindi, Italian, and Russian.

Microsoft said the feature is “coming soon” and that more languages and video platforms will be added in the future.

Emoji’s

Microsoft also introduced new features for Microsoft Teams.  This includes Intelligent Recap (AI-driven meeting notes).

If you love using emoji, Microsoft Teams is adding the ability to add your own emoji in its Slack competitor. Like in Slack, admins can limit who is allowed to add emojis, and they won’t be visible outside of your organization’s domain. The feature will be available in July.

As AI continues to transform industries, Microsoft is expanding its global cloud infrastructure to meet the needs of developers and customers.

Windows AI-Powered Clipboard With PowerToys

Microsoft debuted some new Advanced Paste features which form part of the PowerToys suite for Windows 11.

Pressing Windows Key + Shift + V will give you the ability to convert the contents of your clipboard while you’re working.

You’ll be able to trigger the Advanced Paste menu by pressing Windows Key + Shift + V and, from there, convert your paste to formats like plaintext, markdown, or JSON, using further keyboard shortcuts.

You can also convert by typing into the prompt box, which has other capabilities like altering or summarizing the text before you paste it. T

However, you will need an OpenAI API key and credits in your OpenAI account for the AI part.

Azure

A pair of new Azure virtual machines are designed to boost performance. The Azure Cobalt virtual machine is built on Microsoft custom silicon, delivering efficiency and choice to Azure users and enhancing first-party applications like Microsoft Teams.

Microsoft is the first cloud provider to integrate AMD’s versatile MI300x AI accelerator chip, optimized for GPT-4, elevating AI inferencing and training capabilities for users

Other stuff

Other major announcements included GitHub Copilot extensions, a Khan Academy partnership to bring free AI tools to teachers in the US, and real-time intelligence capabilities coming to Microsoft’s AI analytics platform, Fabric.

Microsoft also said it was “deepening” its partnership with Meta to bring volumetric Windows apps to the Quest headset, extending the apps into 3D space.

The biggest surprise came at the end of the keynote when OpenAI CEO Sam Altman came on stage to talk about GPT-4o and his advice to startup founders and developers.

ALSO READ: Asus debuts Vivobook S15 Copilot+ PC with Windows 11 AI