Microsoft wants to make creative AI a big part of Windows and the PCs that run it.
This week, at an opening event before its annual Build developer conference, the company showed off a new line of Windows computers it calls Copilot+ PCs. The computers also have creative AI-powered features like Recall that help users find apps, files, and other content they’ve seen before. Copilot is Microsoft’s brand of creative AI, and it will soon be a lot more built into Windows 11. Also, new Microsoft Surface gadgets are on the way.
We have compiled all the important news here. 
The Copilot+ PCs
Copilot+ PCs are Microsoft’s idea of the best Windows devices for AI. All of them have special chips, called NPUs, that run AI games like Recall. They also come with at least 16GB of RAM and SSD storage.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite and Plus chips will be in the first Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft says these chips can power up to 15 hours of web viewing and 20 hours of movie playback. Intel and AMD have also promised to work with a number of manufacturers, such as Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung, to make chips for Copilot+ devices.
You can preorder some Copilot+ PCs today for as little as $999.
Surface Book and Surface Pro
Microsoft recently released the Surface Laptop and Surface Pro, designed to be fast and long-lasting.
The new Surface Laptop, which comes with either a 13.8- or 15-inch screen, has “modern lines” and smaller screen borders. The company claims that it can charge for up to 22 hours and outperforms the Surface Laptop 5 by up to 86%. It also has a haptic feedback touchscreen and works with Wi-Fi 7.
Microsoft says the new Surface Pro is up to 90% faster than the last generation, the Surface Pro 9. It has a new OLED display with HDR, Wi-Fi 7 (and possible 5G), and a better ultrawide front-facing camera. Additionally, it boasts a removable keyboard featuring haptic input and reinforced with additional carbon fiber.
Recall
The new Recall feature in Windows 11 will allow users to “remember” apps and materials that they used on their PC weeks or even months ago. For example, it could help a user find a Discord chat where they were talking about clothes they were thinking about buying. Users can “scroll back” in Recall’s timeline to see what they were working on not long ago. They can also “drill down” in files like PowerPoint slideshows to find information that might be relevant to their searches.
Microsoft says that Recall can make connections between colours, pictures, and other things so that users can look for almost anything on their PCs using natural language. Rewind, a startup, uses similar technology. Recall’s company ensures the privacy of all user data on the device, and crucially, refrains from using it for teaching AI models.
Microsoft has more to say here: “Your PC is where your snapshots stay; they are yours.” From the button in the System Tray on your Taskbar, you can delete individual pictures, change and delete time groups, or pause at any time. Additionally, you have the ability to completely disable the saving of apps and websites.
Images and live subtitles have changed.
It has more AI than ever before, and some of it is only available on the new Copilot+ PCs.
The new Super Resolution tool instantly enlarges old pictures to breathe new life into them. Additionally, Copilot can now look at pictures and suggest creative ways to put them together. Using the “Cocreator” tool, users can sketch images and instruct the AI model to modify or style them according to their drawings.
In other places, live captions with live subtitles turn any sound that goes through a PC into the user’s chosen language, whether it’s from YouTube or a local file. At first, live readings will work with about 40 languages, such as English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Russian.
Runtime for Windows Copilot
About 40 creative AI models make up the Windows Copilot Runtime, which powers features like recall and super resolution. Microsoft calls it “a new layer” of Windows. The Windows Copilot Runtime works with the semantic index, a vector-based system that is unique to each Copilot+ PC. It enables generative AI-powered apps, including third-party apps, to operate without constant internet connectivity.
ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, has announced that CapCut, a well-known video maker, will use the Windows Copilot Runtime to speed up its AI tools.
