Microsoft's February Roundup: Diversifying AI Partnerships, Boosting Cloud Services, Copilot Accessibility and more.

In recent news, Microsoft’s strategic movements in the AI, Copilot and technology sectors.

3 big AI trends to watch in 2024:

Small language models: Microsoft researchers have introduced Phi and Orca, two Small Language Models (SLMs) that demonstrate comparable or superior performance to Large Language Models (LLMs) in targeted domains. This development highlights the potential of smaller models like Phi and Orca to enhance accessibility to AI by being more affordable and requiring fewer computing resources.
Multimodal AI: Multimodal AI, seen in Copilot and Microsoft Designer, processes diverse data types like text, images, audio, and video, enhancing technologies for more human-like experiences according to Jennifer Marsman and Kevin Scott from Microsoft.
AI in science: The application of artificial intelligence is revolutionizing scientific discovery across various fields, from developing better weather predictors and sustainable agriculture tools to accelerating cancer research, drug discovery, and materials science breakthroughs. This marks a significant advancement towards addressing global challenges such as climate change, disease, and energy crises.

Microsoft partners with OpenAI’s French rival Mistral:
By collaborating with French startup Mistral AI, Microsoft aims to enrich its Azure cloud platform with a broader range of AI models. This long-term deal not only diversifies Microsoft’s AI offerings but also aims to attract more customers to Azure, highlighting the company’s commitment to becoming a central hub for AI technologies.

Microsoft Search and News Advertising revenue up 8%:
The 8% year-on-year growth in Microsoft’s search and news advertising revenue. ‘By infusing AI across every layer of our tech stack, we’re winning new customers and helping drive new benefits and productivity gains across every sector’ said Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft. Microsoft’s Acquisition of Activision-Blizzard has propelled gaming revenue to surpass that of Windows, with gaming now standing as Microsoft’s third largest revenue stream, contributing $7.11 billion in the quarter ending December 31, 2023. Total revenue of $62 billion and a net income of $21.9 billion, marking an 18% and 33% increase respectively.

Microsoft Copilot Studio Enables AI-Driven Conversational Interfaces for Business Applications:
The introduction of Copilot Studio, which facilitates AI-driven conversational interfaces for business applications, showcases Microsoft’s investment in enhancing user experiences through AI. By analysing natural language input and assigning confidence scores. Copilot Studio represents Microsoft’s focus on integrating AI into practical, business-oriented solutions.

Delivering Copilot for everyone:
Microsoft is showcasing the transformative capabilities of AI through its Copilot feature, facilitating tasks ranging from business planning to image customization. With over 5 billion chats and images created to date, alongside the introduction of new image creation functionalities like Designer, available for free on various browsers and mobile platforms, aiming to democratize AI advancements for global accessibility and empowerment.

Image source: Microsoft

Deploy Custom Copilot to SharePoint with Seamless SSO Experience:

Integrating a custom Copilot into SharePoint enables organizations to enhance user interactions and efficiency. By deploying Copilots from Copilot Studio directly into SharePoint sites, users can engage with content, and documents This integration is particularly useful for areas like HR, where a Copilot can swiftly navigate employees to relevant information or documents based on the site’s resources. This seamless single sign-on experience streamlines access and fosters intuitive, contextually relevant interactions, making digital resources more accessible and interaction more natural.

Key Takeaways:

Small Language Models (SLMs) demonstrate the potential for more accessible and affordable AI solutions.
Multimodal AI technologies like Copilot enhance user experiences by processing diverse data types.
Partnerships, such as with Mistral AI, enrich Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform and expand its AI offerings.
AI integration across Microsoft’s tech stack contributes to revenue growth and productivity gains.
Initiatives like Copilot Studio and Custom Copilot deployments exemplify Microsoft’s focus on practical, business-oriented AI solutions.

References

Vanessa, H. (2024)

Available at: 3 big AI trends to watch in 2024 (microsoft.com) [Accessed: 27th February 2024].