Microsoft wants laptop users to get so comfortable with its artificial intelligence chatbot that it will remember everything you害羞草研究所檙e doing on your computer and help figure out what you want to do next.

The software giant on Monday revealed a new class of AI-imbued personal computers as it confronts heightened competition from Big Tech rivals in pitching generative AI technology that can compose documents, make images and serve as a lifelike personal assistant at work or home.

The announcements ahead of Microsoft害羞草研究所檚 annual Build developer conference centered on fusing its AI assistant, called Copilot, into the Windows operating system for PCs, where Microsoft already has the eyes of millions of consumers.

The new features will include Windows Recall, giving the AI assistant what Microsoft describes as 害羞草研究所減hotographic memory害羞草研究所� of a person害羞草研究所檚 virtual activity. Microsoft promises to protect users害羞草研究所� privacy by giving them the option to filter out what they don害羞草研究所檛 want tracked, and keeping the tracking on the device.

It害羞草研究所檚 a step toward machines that 害羞草研究所渋nstantly see us, hear, reason about our intent and our surroundings,害羞草研究所� said CEO Satya Nadella.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e entering this new era where computers not only understand us, but can actually anticipate what we want and our intent,害羞草研究所� Nadella said at an event at the company害羞草研究所檚 headquarters in Redmond, Washington.

The conference that starts Tuesday in Seattle follows big AI announcements last week from rival Google, as well as Microsoft害羞草研究所檚 close business partner OpenAI, which built the AI large language models on which Microsoft害羞草研究所檚 Copilot is based.

Google rolled out a retooled search engine that periodically puts AI-generated summaries over website links at the top of the results page; while also showing off a still-in-development AI assistant Astra that will be able to 害羞草研究所渟ee害羞草研究所� and converse about things shown through a smartphone害羞草研究所檚 camera lens.

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI unveiled a new version of its chatbot last week, demonstrating an AI voice assistant with human characteristics that can banter about what someone害羞草研究所檚 wearing and even attempt to assess a person害羞草研究所檚 emotions. The voice sounded so much like Scarlett Johansson playing an AI character in the sci-fi movie 害羞草研究所淗er害羞草研究所� that OpenAI dropped the voice from its collection Monday.

OpenAI also rolled out a new desktop version of ChatGPT designed for Apple害羞草研究所檚 Mac computers.

Next up is Apple害羞草研究所檚 own annual developers conference in June. Apple CEO Tim Cook signaled at the company害羞草研究所檚 annual shareholder meeting in February that it has been making big investments in generative AI.

Some of Microsoft害羞草研究所檚 announcements Monday appeared designed to blunt whatever Apple has in store. The newly AI-enhanced Windows PCs will start rolling out on June 18 on computers made by Microsoft partners Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung, as well as on Microsoft害羞草研究所檚 Surface line of devices. But they害羞草研究所檒l be reserved for premium models starting at $999.

While Copilot is rooted in OpenAI害羞草研究所檚 large language models, Microsoft said the new AI PCs will also rely heavily on its own homegrown 害羞草研究所渟mall language models害羞草研究所� that are designed to be more efficient and able to more easily run on a consumer害羞草研究所檚 personal device.

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The Associated Press