The first day of Microsoft’s three-day Build developer conference focused on “AI” (artificial intelligence). The event, held in Seattle with 4,000 attendees, will feature new AI tools, From GPT-4 to AI-powered Windows PCs. Over the three days, Microsoft will announce over 60 new products and solutions.
The most significant announcement was the launch of OpenAI’s latest large language model (LLM), “GPT-4o,” on Azure AI Studio and as an API. According to Microsoft, this new LLM can take text, images, and audio inputs.
Additionally, Microsoft introduced a new multimodal model in the Phi-3 family of small language models (SLMs) called Phi-3-vision. Available on Azure, this SLM allows users to input images and text and get text responses.
Microsoft’s New AI Tools and Features
At its Build conference, Microsoft previewed new Cobalt 100 Arm-based virtual machines (VMs). These VMs use Microsoft’s custom Cobalt 100 processor, designed for general-purpose and cloud-native tasks.
The company also announced more features for Microsoft 365’s Copilot. The new Copilot Studio will help developers create smart assistants for complex tasks and long-running business processes. New plugins will let developers connect Copilot to various data sources and applications. GitHub also introduced its first set of Copilot extensions.
These updates come as Microsoft strengthens its global AI efforts. In India, these new offerings will help attract customers interested in adopting AI technology.
Microsoft Announces New AI Hardware and AI-Powered Windows PCs
At its Build conference, Microsoft revealed new virtual machines made in partnership with AMD to help with AI training and processing needs.
“We’re the first cloud provider to use AMD’s top AI chip, the MI300X, for our new Azure ND MI300X v5 virtual machines. These are perfect for high-demand AI tasks and high-performance computing,” said Microsoft.
Another big announcement was the introduction of AI-powered Windows PCs called “Copilot+ PCs.” Starting at $999 (around INR 83,000), these desktops are very fast and can run AI models. They will be available from June 18 and will be made by companies like Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung.
Microsoft Expands in India with New Data Centre and AI Training
Microsoft recently bought 48 acres of land in Hyderabad for INR 267 Cr to build one of the biggest data centers in the area. The company also plans to train 2 million Indians in AI by 2025. A recent report shows that over 92% of Indian “knowledge” workers use AI tools. This creates ample opportunity for AI startups, with AI being used in sectors like BFSI, healthcare, IT, and fintech.
Microsoft India’s managing director, Irina Ghose, mentioned that nearly 500 customers have moved to Azure OpenAI. As AI technology spreads, the demand for hardware and GPUs is also increasing, showing a growing market for these tools.
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