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- The next era for Microsoft Copilot
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Welcome, AI enthusiasts.
Microsoft just announced it’s bringing a faster, smarter Copilot AI assistant to Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and more.
With hundreds of millions of users about to have new, direct access to powerful AI agents, is this the tipping point for AI in everyday work? Let’s get into it…
In today’s AI rundown:
Microsoft adds faster Copilot to Excel and Word
Slack integrates AI agents and new workflows
Turn documents into stunning presentations
Groq to build world’s largest AI data center
5 new AI tools & 4 new AI jobs
More AI & tech news
Read time: 3 minutes
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
MICROSOFT
Image source: Microsoft
The Rundown: Microsoft just unveiled the next wave of Copilot, its AI assistant, introducing new features and expanding its integration across Microsoft 365 apps like Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, Word, and OneDrive.
The details:
Copilot Pages: A new collaborative canvas for AI-assisted teamwork, enabling real-time, multi-user interaction with AI on persistent, editable content.
Copilot Agents: Advanced AI assistants that automate complex business processes, operating in the background to execute tasks autonomously.
Agent Builder: A no-code tool for creating custom Copilot agents, making AI development easier for non-technical users.
Performance Boost: Copilot responses are now twice as fast with triple the user satisfaction, powered by a GPT-4 integration.
Why it matters: Microsoft is making it easier than ever for non-technical users to add AI workflows to their suite of productivity tools. This could be the first taste of fast, intelligent, AI-powered Excel sheets and Word docs for millions of people.
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SLACK
Image source: Slack
The Rundown: Slack just announced a suite of new AI-powered features, including AI agents and improved integrations with Salesforce, aimed at boosting workplace productivity and streamlining workflows.
The details:
Slack introduced Salesforce's Agentforce AI, capable of answering queries, automating tasks, and performing actions directly within Slack channels.
A new "Salesforce channel" enables users to interact with CRM data directly in Slack, eliminating the need to switch platforms.
Slack is also rolling out AI-assisted features like huddle notes (automatically generating meeting summaries), an AI Workflow Builder for creating automated tasks using natural language, and improved AI search.
The platform now offers pre-built templated channels, canvases, lists, and automated workflows for swift, tailored workspace setup.
Why it matters: Not to be outdone by Microsoft, Slack is also adding AI agents and workflows directly into its products. With over 32 million daily active users, this move embeds intelligent, AI-powered tools directly into the products that an enormous amount of people rely on daily.
AI TRAINING
The Rundown: Gamma is a free AI tool that can automatically convert your documents or PDFs into visually appealing presentations in minutes.
Step-by-step:
Sign up for a free Gamma account and log in to your dashboard.
Click "+ Create new" and select "Import file or URL."
Choose "Upload a file" and select your research paper.
In the prompt editor, select "Generate" for text content, your desired amount of text, and the "Card-by-card" view.
Click "Continue" to generate your presentation, then refine and customize it as needed.
Pro tip: In the "Write for" field, specify your target audience to tailor the presentation's tone and complexity.
GROQ
Image source: Midjourney
The Rundown: AI startup Groq recently partnered with Saudi oil giant Aramco to build what they claim will be the world’s largest AI inferencing center in Saudi Arabia, aiming to serve the Middle East, Africa, and India.
The details:
The data center will initially house 19,000 language processing units (LPUs), with potential expansion to 200,000 units, potentially making it the largest AI inferencing center globally.
Aramco is funding the project, expected to cost "in the order of nine figures," underscoring Saudi Arabia's commitment to AI infrastructure.
The center leverages Saudi Arabia's advantages: low energy costs, available land, and proximity to 4 billion people within a 100-millisecond data travel time.
Groq anticipates the center to be operational by the end of 2024, with potential for further collaborations between Groq and Aramco.
Why it matters: This partnership highlights Saudi Arabia’s commitment to AI and shows that Groq is capable of scaling up its lightning-fast AI inference infrastructure. It could accelerate the development of near-instantaneous chatbot responses — a critical next step following recent chain-of-thought breakthroughs like OpenAI’s o1 model.
NEW TOOLS & JOBS
🧠 OpenAI o1 - The new series of OpenAI models with advanced reasoning, available in ChatGPT Plus and Teams plans
💬 Google Illuminate - Turn books and papers into engaging audio discussions
🚀 Chatfeul - AI agents for automated eCommerce sales
✍️ SciSpace - AI academic writer for seamless citations and efficient writing
🎨 Kive - Manage all AI-generated assets in one place
👥 Fiddler AI - Director of People Operations
💻 Cohere - Software Engineering Tech Lead
📈 Meta - Technical Program Manager
🌐 DeepL - Account Executive
QUICK HITS
Free event with SonyAI’s Chief Scientist and Section on augmenting human creativity with AI. Join us for a discussion on AI’s place in art. RSVP now.*
Luma Labs launched the Dream Machine API, allowing developers to integrate their popular video generation AI model into applications without building complex tools.
Google announced significant performance improvements for Gemini 1.5 Flash, reducing latency by over 3x and increasing output tokens per second by more than 2x.
A Canadian study showed that an AI early warning system reduced unexpected patient deaths by 26%, monitoring vital signs and alerting staff to intervene earlier.
James Earl Jones agreed to let AI replicate his Darth Vader voice before his death, allowing the character to continue in future Star Wars productions.
AI pioneers called for international oversight to address potential catastrophic risks from rapidly advancing AI technology, warning it could soon surpass human control.
OpenAI announced enhanced safety and security measures, including establishing a Board oversight committee chaired by Zico Kolter to monitor model development and deployment.
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