Microsoft last week filed its annual report with the SEC, and with it a new vision that emphasizes AI. The documents state the company will no longer be focused on mobile, but instead on implementing AI solutions.
In the documents, under the heading “Our Vision” the company put:
Our strategy is to build best-in-class platforms and productivity services for an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge infused with artificial intelligence (“AI”)
Which should come as a surprise to no-one, Microsoft has gobbled up AI companies like Pac-Man eating dots, and is using them to do things like teach computers to be amazing at Ms. Pac-Man.
Microsoft started off 2017 by purchasing an AI company, which was added to it’s already robust machine-learning research team.
The company’s Microsoft Research AI (MSR AI) group has been doing some impressive work, including helping the blind better understand their surroundings. And Microsoft makes hardware now, in the form of an AI co-processor chip for Hololens 2.0.
Microsoft isn’t the only major legacy tech company fully prepared to shift to an AI-driven vision. IBM is famously flaunting their ride on the AI hype train with their cloud-based Watson, and Apple of course has Siri.
There’s no need to ask if AI is the future or not, because it is. It’s only a matter of time now before Cortana gets appointed CEO (Sorry Satya!).
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