Copilot Devices the 3rd layer of Copilot Platform

When we talk about Copilot, we usually talk about M365 Copilot. But Copilot is more than M365 Copilot, it's a Copilot platform.

Satya Nadella talks about UI for AI, which of course is M365 Copilot. But let's take a closer look at the three different layers.

1. Copilot
2. Copilot & AI Stack
3. Copilot Devices

Frontend of Copilot as a top layer

The top layer is our UI for AI - as mentioned above, M365 Copilot is kind of our front door to our AI. Sort of all the episodes in the Copilot Your Day newsletter have been about the first layer.

But also the extensibility of Copilot is part of this layer - since I talked a lot about this topics I would skip it for this time ??.

Here the user interacts with Copilot in the frontend.

Copilot's AI stack to orchestrate in the 2nd layer

The second layer is about orchestration, foundation models, and your data! Last but not least, it's the AI infrastructure in general.

Copilot Devices - 3rd Layer

The third layer is all about Copilot devices, which is also the main focus of this episode. I am in the lucky position to test the latest Surface Pro 11, which is a Copilot+PC. Thanks to 微软 especially Martin Pauer and Didier Hubounig

What is a Copilot+ PC?

Copilot+ PCs are a new class of Windows 11 AI PCs equipped with a powerful Neural Processing Unit (NPU). These specialized chips are optimized for AI-intensive processes such as real-time translation and image generation, and can perform more than 40 trillion operations per second.

These PCs offer a variety of features designed to enhance productivity and creativity. These include features such as Recall, Cocreator, Windows Studio Effects and Live Captions. The devices are designed to enable seamless and efficient use of AI applications directly on the device, without the need for a constant Internet connection. --This description was created by Copilot.

Why are Copilot+ PC necessary?

As mentioned in the last section, Copilot+ PCs are very powerful. This is especially helpful for special use cases like live translation or image creation. Of course, this is nothing fancy per se, but let's imagine that you don't need an internet connection to use AI. This is exactly possible with Copilot+ PCs.

The AI is not only helpful for our daily tasks, but also for optimizing the laptop itself. For example, through the AI capabilities it optimizes the battery, which leads to longer usage without recharging it.

Of course, we are still in the very young age of this generation, but I see huge potential for so many use cases. Especially when the applications are optimized for Copilot+ PC.

First working week with my new Surface Pro 11

I used to have a Surface Studio laptop during my undergraduate studies in computer science. At that time I was quite happy, however sometimes it was reaaaally loud. And now a few years later, coming back to a Surface device, I was super eager to see how the product has developed.

First of all, I am super happy with the device. I was a bit worried about working remotely (e.g. train) with the attached keyboard. But that wasn't the case at all. Even when I put it on my thighs, it's stable and works well for me. A big advantage in my opinion is the weight and size, especially when working remotely it's super light!

I was quite surprised how much better M365 and the laptop work together. For example, during a team call, the camera automatically zooms in on my face and the performance is super smooth. Of course, I don't use heavy applications, but sometimes the RAM is pretty well used with all the presentations and Edge tabs I have to use during the day ??.

To be honest, I was a bit disappointed with the copilot button, as it only opens the copilot app associated with the person copilot. But you can save the M365 Copilot PWA and then map the button to it. And secondly, the fancy features have not been released for the Swiss market due to regulations -> of course this is not a problem of the Surface Pro 11 itself.

So I am super excited to test it during Ignite in Chicago in two weeks ??.

Thinking about the mid-term impact, I already see a great potential for Copilot+ devices and I am really looking forward to test the device even more in my daily work.

Microsoft Ignite - who's coming to Chicago?

Speaking of Microsoft Ignite, who's coming to the main Microsoft event in Chicago? I look forward to seeing you there in 2 weeks! Drop me a line ????