Empowering AI Development: Microsoft Build 2023 Highlights And Adoption Of AI Tools In Tech Firms

Microsoft Build is an annual conference event held by Microsoft aimed at bringing together the community of developers, software engineers, IT professionals, and businesses that are using Microsoft technologies. As is tradition, it is held on May 23, 24, and 25, and for the first time in four years, this event is returning to the Seattle Convention Center. So, let’s look closer at the Microsoft Build 2023 highlights together.

5 Highlights of Microsoft Build 2023

Even though Microsoft's president, Brad Smith, has urged the establishment of regulations to mitigate the risks associated with artificial intelligence and emphasized the need for companies to take proactive measures and for governments to accelerate their efforts, it seems like Microsoft doesn't want to stop. With Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella's bald statement during the event, "That’s why we innovate...That’s why technology exists. It’s not for technology’s sake. But it is for that broad impact." The key moments of the 2023 Microsoft Build were:

1. Bing & ChatGPT

Microsoft has released a plugin, with the help of which it is possible to receive real-time answers. This means no more "I'm sorry, but as an AI language model, my training data only goes up until September 2021”.

2. Windows Copilot

With the introduction of Windows Copilot, Windows is set to become the pioneering PC platform for centralizing AI assistance. For example, it will be possible to control your system with your voice without needing to search the settings.

3. GitHub Copilot X

GitHub Copilot offers suggestions for commands, provides error explanations, and even executes actions directly within Windows.‍

4. Microsoft Fabric

This platform for analytics will enable customers of all technical levels to unlock the full potential of their data and experience capabilities in a unified experience.

5. New Azure AI tooling

The main idea of this tool is to help developers build, operationalize and deploy their next-generation AI apps.

Embracing the Ai in Windows Development

With the latest Microsoft investments in tools to democratize app development for the Ai era in Windows, Microsoft is committed to simplifying the integration of Ai-powered experiences into Windows, no matter the development architecture - x86/x64 or Arm64. During the previous year's Build conference, Microsoft introduced a groundbreaking development pattern called Hybrid Loop. This pattern facilitates the implementation of hybrid AI scenarios. To enhance the visibility of the top-notch AI experiences on Windows, Microsoft will feature them in a dedicated section within the Microsoft Store. 

Nowadays, Windows 11 boasts an impressive availability of over 200 million AI-capable discrete GPUs, which are used for training artificial intelligence and deep learning models. Microsoft's partnership with Qualcomm delivers innovations like the integration of NPUs (Neural Processing Units) into Windows devices. These NPUs are capable of expediting machine learning tasks up to 10,000 times faster than GPUs, while also consuming less power, thereby enhancing efficiency. Microsoft says they're excited about the upcoming release of more Windows devices with NPUs from its silicon partners.

The comprehensive suite of tools and collaborations showcased at BUILD 2023 empowers developers to seamlessly integrate AI capabilities into their applications. This integration enables the creation of more immersive, intelligent experiences for users across diverse devices and platforms. With Elon Musk's recent statement, "We've got OpenAI and Microsoft, Google DeepMind, and probably there should be a third horse in the race." it seems like Microsoft wants to overtake the new possible competitors with AI-enabled development on Windows. 

The quarter of USA tech firms are using AI for software development

In March 2023, Altman Solon (global strategy consulting firm) delved further into the emerging enterprise use cases of generative AI. According to their recent survey, nearly one-in-four technology companies in the United States are utilizing generative AI tools to enhance their software development processes. The survey, which involved 292 senior technology executives and input from industry experts, aimed to explore the potential of generative AI in various business functions. The findings indicate a significant surge in the adoption of generative AI tools across major business areas in the coming year. “The survey clearly shows that respondents would prefer deploying generative AI in the public cloud or their providers’ environment rather than building their infrastructure,” said Altman Solon Partner Swope Fleming. “This could be a new growth driver for cloud providers as adoption ramps up.” 

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While the availability of off-the-shelf and customizable generative AI solutions remains limited, the survey underscores the strong demand for such tools across different business functions. Among the respondents, software development emerged as the primary area for generative AI adoption, with a notable 22% of executives indicating its use. It was also followed by marketing (11%), customer service (8%), and product development (6%). Looking ahead, the survey reveals that adoption rates are expected to soar, with software development, marketing, and customer service projected to witness adoption rates approaching 80% or more. For product development, a substantial 62% adoption rate is anticipated.

Conclusion 

Microsoft Build 2023 showcased advancements in AI integration for software development and business functions. Highlights include real-time answers with Bing & ChatGPT, centralized AI assistance through Windows Copilot, intelligent suggestions with GitHub Copilot, unified analytics with Microsoft Fabric, and powerful Azure AI tooling. Altman Solon's survey reveals the growing adoption of generative AI tools, particularly in software development. This survey only confirms that the future holds great potential for AI-enabled development across various business areas.