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Microsoft’s Bold Attempt at AI Dominance with the New AI Key for Windows 11 Laptops

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Microsoft's Bold Attempt at AI Dominance with the New AI Key for Windows 11 Laptops

At this week’s CES, the biggest technology trade show in the world, artificial intelligence is already pervasive. CNET is on the ground, covering the ins and outs of the event before its official start. Microsoft said in the lead-up to the significant AI focus that it will be releasing a new, dedicated key for its AI tool, Copilot, on Windows 11 laptops and PCs.

Users of Windows 11 can access Microsoft’s generative AI tool, which can assist with everything from writing a short narrative, planning a trip or dinner, and shopping for specific things, all with the touch of a handy keyboard button.

The Copilot AI key is not only the largest update to a Windows keyboard in nearly thirty years, but it also acts as a physical entry point to the Copilot service, which assists users with tasks like document summarization, music recommendations, and AI chatbot or search engine queries. With this action, Microsoft is taking a step toward reaching over a billion Windows users with its AI services.

“We believe it will empower people to participate in the AI transformation more easily,” Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s executive vice president and consumer chief marketing officer, said Thursday. “The new key will invoke the Copilot in Windows experience to make it seamless to engage Copilot in your day to day.”

Microsoft is investing $10 billion in ChatGPT producer OpenAI. In a dramatic turn of events that saw OpenAI CEO and co-founder Sam Altman temporarily removed by the company’s own board, Microsoft CEO Sundar Pichai hired Altman and other key personnel almost away. Pichai’s prompt decision highlights Microsoft’s significant stake on AI chatbots and search through Copilot, formerly known as Bing Chat, even if Altman has subsequently been restored at OpenAI. Over the past year, Microsoft has integrated generative AI into some of its most significant products, such as Windows 11 and the Bing search engine. Large language models are necessary for Copilot, especially Open AI’s GPT-4.

Which laptops and PCs running Windows 11 will make use of the Copilot keyboard key?

On certain keyboards, the menu or right control keys will be replaced with the Copilot key, which will be located to the right of the space bar and activate Microsoft Copilot.

In the days preceding CES this week, as well as during the technology convention itself, Microsoft’s partners will begin shipping Windows 11 laptops and PCs with the new button. The new key is part of the soon-to-be released series of Dell XPS laptops, which CNET has already seen.

Microsoft states that a broader rollout, which will include future Surface devices, is anticipated in late February or early spring. The Copilot button will eventually be a necessary function.

The new key will launch Windows Search for Windows users who do not have Copilot activated or who reside in a nation where Copilot is not available. Currently, Windows users can launch Copilot by using the Windows key + C.

“This [new button] will not only simplify people’s computing experience but also amplify it, making 2024 the year of the AI PC,” Mehdi stated.

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Microsoft Expands Copilot Voice and Think Deeper

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Microsoft Expands Copilot Voice and Think Deeper

Microsoft is taking a major step forward by offering unlimited access to Copilot Voice and Think Deeper, marking two years since the AI-powered Copilot was first integrated into Bing search. This update comes shortly after the tech giant revamped its Copilot Pro subscription and bundled advanced AI features into Microsoft 365.

What’s Changing?

Microsoft remains committed to its $20 per month Copilot Pro plan, ensuring that subscribers continue to enjoy premium benefits. According to the company, Copilot Pro users will receive:

  • Preferred access to the latest AI models during peak hours.
  • Early access to experimental AI features, with more updates expected soon.
  • Extended use of Copilot within popular Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

The Impact on Users

This move signals Microsoft’s dedication to enhancing AI-driven productivity tools. By expanding access to Copilot’s powerful features, users can expect improved efficiency, smarter assistance, and seamless integration across Microsoft’s ecosystem.

As AI technology continues to evolve, Microsoft is positioning itself at the forefront of innovation, ensuring both casual users and professionals can leverage the best AI tools available.

Stay tuned for further updates as Microsoft rolls out more enhancements to its AI offerings.

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Google Launches Free AI Coding Tool for Individual Developers

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Google Launches Free AI Coding Tool for Individual Developers

Google has introduced a free version of Gemini Code Assistant, its AI-powered coding assistant, for solo developers worldwide. The tool, previously available only to enterprise users, is now in public preview, making advanced AI-assisted coding accessible to students, freelancers, hobbyists, and startups.

More Features, Fewer Limits

Unlike competing tools such as GitHub Copilot, which limits free users to 2,000 code completions per month, Google is offering up to 180,000 code completions—a significantly higher cap designed to accommodate even the most active developers.

“Now anyone can easily learn, generate code snippets, debug, and modify applications without switching between multiple windows,” said Ryan J. Salva, Google’s senior director of product management.

AI-Powered Coding Assistance

Gemini Code Assist for individuals is powered by Google’s Gemini 2.0 AI model and offers:
Auto-completion of code while typing
Generation of entire code blocks based on prompts
Debugging assistance via an interactive chatbot

The tool integrates with popular developer environments like Visual Studio Code, GitHub, and JetBrains, supporting a wide range of programming languages. Developers can use natural language prompts, such as:
Create an HTML form with fields for name, email, and message, plus a submit button.”

With support for 38 programming languages and a 128,000-token memory for processing complex prompts, Gemini Code Assist provides a robust AI-driven coding experience.

Enterprise Features Still Require a Subscription

While the free tier is generous, advanced features like productivity analytics, Google Cloud integrations, and custom AI tuning remain exclusive to paid Standard and Enterprise plans.

With this move, Google aims to compete more aggressively in the AI coding assistant market, offering developers a powerful and unrestricted alternative to existing tools.

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Elon Musk Unveils Grok-3: A Game-Changing AI Chatbot to Rival ChatGPT

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Elon Musk Unveils Grok-3: A Game-Changing AI Chatbot to Rival ChatGPT

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI has unveiled its latest chatbot, Grok-3, which aims to compete with leading AI models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and China’s DeepSeek. Grok-3 is now available to Premium+ subscribers on Musk’s social media platform x (formerly Twitter) and is also available through xAI’s mobile app and the new SuperGrok subscription tier on Grok.com.

Advanced capabilities and performance

Grok-3 has ten times the computing power of its predecessor, Grok-2. Initial tests show that Grok-3 outperforms models from OpenAI, Google, and DeepSeek, particularly in areas such as math, science, and coding. The chatbot features advanced reasoning features capable of decomposing complex questions into manageable tasks. Users can interact with Grok-3 in two different ways: “Think,” which performs step-by-step reasoning, and “Big Brain,” which is designed for more difficult tasks.

Strategic Investments and Infrastructure

To support the development of Grok-3, xAI has made major investments in its supercomputer cluster, Colossus, which is currently the largest globally. This infrastructure underscores the company’s commitment to advancing AI technology and maintaining a competitive edge in the industry.

New Offerings and Future Plans

Along with Grok-3, xAI has also introduced a logic-based chatbot called DeepSearch, designed to enhance research, brainstorming, and data analysis tasks. This tool aims to provide users with more insightful and relevant information. Looking to the future, xAI plans to release Grok-2 as an open-source model, encouraging community participation and further development. Additionally, upcoming improvements for Grok-3 include a synthesized voice feature, which aims to improve user interaction and accessibility.

Market position and competition

The launch of Grok-3 positions xAI as a major competitor in the AI ​​chatbot market, directly challenging established models from OpenAI and emerging competitors such as DeepSeek. While Grok-3’s performance claims are yet to be independently verified, early indications suggest it could have a significant impact on the AI ​​landscape. xAI is actively seeking $10 billion in investment from major companies, demonstrating its strong belief in their technological advancements and market potential.

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