Gamingdeputy reported on March 8 that Microsoft has finalized an online new product launch conference at 1 a.m. Beijing time on March 22 with the theme of “New Era of Office”.The main contents are expected to be Copilot, Windows and Surface, using AI to improve user productivity.
According to Windows Latest reports, Microsoft will launch a new version at this conference Windows 11 The drawing application implements various AI functions by calling NPU resources, and also introduces other AI functions.
NPU, or Neural Processing Unit, is a specialized hardware component that is often equipped on new Windows 11 computers and is used to process AI and machine learning tasks directly on the device. Compared with relying on the cloud or general-purpose CPU, NPU can perform AI tasks directly on the device, improving processing efficiency.
Drawing LiveCanvas function
The new Windows 11 drawing application will embed some image editing and rendering tools, and complete editing tasks natively by calling NPU resources.
Gamingdeputy previously reported that Microsoft Paint may be integrating AI features that require NPU capabilities, such as using AI algorithms to perform advanced image editing tools or real-time effects directly on the device.
AI Explorer
“AI Explorer” is the blockbuster AI experience that differentiates AI PCs from non-AI PCs. It is described as “advanced Copilot” and has a built-in history/timeline function that can convert everything the user does on the computer. Moments are searchable using natural language and work in any app, allowing users to search previously opened conversations, documents, web pages and images.
For example, a user can type “Help me find a list of restaurants that Jenna recommends,” and Windows will pull up the exact conversation in which the user and Jenna discussed those restaurants. Even if it's a vague prompt like “Help me find something about dinosaurs,” Windows will pull out all the dinosaur-related words, phrases, images, and topics the user has previously opened on their computer.
The “AI Explorer” app can also understand context to help users start a project or workflow, and even suggest tasks based on what's currently on the screen. For example, if the user is viewing an image in an app, AI Explorer will automatically display an “Edit Image” button, allowing the user to type commands such as “Remove the background of this image using the Photos app.”
AI upscaling, improving game frame rate and visual experience
Microsoft said that in the process of promoting the preview version, it not only worked closely with Intel, but also had in-depth discussions with Samsung to help improve the performance of artificial intelligence applications using DirectML.
Microsoft said that after DirectML supports NPU, developers can use the chip's built-in NPU to run AI models through APIs such as the cross-platform inference engine “ONNX Runtime” to improve model operation performance.