Microsoft has given its consumer Copilot, an artificial intelligence assistant, a kinder voice in its latest update, with the chatbot also able to analyze web pages of interested users as they browse.
The US software company now has “a whole army” of creative directors – including psychologists, novelists and comedians – who are fine-tuning the tone and style of Copilot to set it apart, said Mustafa Suleyman, chief executive of Microsoft AI, to Reuters in an interview.
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During a demonstration of the updated Copilot, a consumer asked what housewarming gift to buy at a grocery store for a friend who didn’t drink wine. After some back and forth, Copilot said out loud, “Italian (olive) oils are all the rage right now. Tuscan is my favorite. Super peppery.” The feature rollout, which begins Tuesday, is one of the first Suleyman has overseen since Microsoft created its division in March to focus on consumer products and technology research.
Long identified with enterprise software, Microsoft has had a much more difficult path in the consumer domain. Its Bing search engine, for example, is still overshadowed by Google.
Suleyman hopes for greater success with Copilot, launched last year in a crowded field of AI chatbots, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.
Copilot’s new vocal capabilities make him seem like a much more active listener, giving verbal cues like “cool” and “huh,” Suleyman said.
The product is based on Microsoft AI, or “MAI,” models as well as a technology suite from partner OpenAI, Suleyman said.
Suleyman added that consumers who spend $20 a month for Copilot Pro can start testing a “Think Deeper” feature that reasons through choices, like whether to move to one city or another.
He said an additional testing feature for paid subscribers, Copilot Vision, amounts to “digital pointing”: the ability for users to talk to AI about what they see in a Microsoft Edge browser. Consumers must register and the content they view will not be recorded or used to train the AI, Microsoft said.
These updates represent “glimmers” of AI that can be an “omnipresent, in-your-corner confidant,” Suleyman said. It’s a vision he articulated as CEO of Inflection AI, from which Microsoft poached top talent in a closely watched deal this year.
Suleyman said that eventually, Copilot would learn the context of consumers’ Word documents, Windows desktops and even their gaming consoles if they granted permission.
When asked what Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates thought of the company’s AI efforts, Suleyman said Gates was enthusiastic.
“He always asks me when Copilot can read and analyze his emails. It’s one of his favorites,” Suleyman said.
“We’re on the case.”
First publication: October 1, 2024 | 7:42 p.m. STI
