Microsoft's Copilot+PC Transforms AI PC for Effortless Gaming Guidance

Just before the Microsoft Build 2024, the software company hosted a launch event to showcase a series of products and the latest technologies in AI and PC (Surface). The announcements highlighted its ambition to integrate AI directly into the Copilot+PC experience. One noteworthy moment during the demo was when Copilot, with AI capability, taught a user how to play the sandbox game Minecraft. Will game guides soon be a thing of the past? And all we have to do is ask AI laptops for assistance.

Is Microsoft redefining AI laptops? (Source: Microsoft)

What is Copilot+PC?

The event's highlight was Copilot+PC, equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor based on the ARM architecture. The new system integrates the CPU, GPU, and a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) designed specifically to accelerate laptop AI applications. It also connects to both large language models (LLM) and small language models (SLM) on the Azure cloud. The processors can perform an astounding 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS) and boast all-day battery life, with performance improvements of 58% over the M3 MacBook Air.

The powerful NPU. (Source: Microsoft)

One of the new AI-driven attractions in Copilot+PC is Recall. The latest feature operates on the host machine, recording all your activities on the computer and allowing you to search for content you've interacted with before. It's common to open and close many tabs and applications during work; oftentimes, we need a little assistance with remembering what tasks we've completed. Recall is aimed at helping you quickly locate a certain message from your boss on communication software from weeks ago or the numerous edited versions of a presentation deck.

Copilot AI Teaches You to Play Games

Another fun demo leveraged Copilot to teach a novice how to play Minecraft. In a video, a developer named Ryan interacted with Copilot through natural voice dialogue, as if chatting with a friend, and the AI provided real-time game guidance. Notably, the model is based on GPT-4o.

Ryan simply opened the Minecraft window and connected to and greeted Copilot. Without further prompting, Copilot responded, "Hey, I'm doing great, and it looks like you're about to dive into some Minecraft, ready to build, explore, and maybe dodge a few monsters."

Just press call. No specific commands are needed, and Copilot will guide you through the game step by step.

Ryan replied, "Yeah, I'm trying to figure out how to make a sword. My son plays this game all the time, and I have no idea what I'm doing."

Copilot reassured him, "No worries, I'm here to help you impress your son. I see you've got a crafting table in front of you, which is a great start. To craft a sword, you'll need some materials. Can you open your inventory? Just press 'E' on your keyboard."

Following the instructions, Ryan opened his inventory, and Copilot immediately scanned it, pointing out the materials he lacked. "Let's see, you've got some sticks, perfect for the sword's handle, but it looks like you're missing the material for the blade. You can use wood, stone, iron, gold, or diamond." Copilot then provided detailed steps to help Ryan find and use these materials.

Copilot can immediately tell what elements you still need.

This demonstration showcased Copilot's powerful capabilities and how it can respond and adapt to a player's needs in real time. For instance, when zombies attacked Ryan, Copilot quickly offered him advice on building a shelter for safety and, most importantly, to avoid embarrassment in front of his son.

These new AI features are created to enhance convenience, allowing players to focus on the game itself rather than spending time searching for guides online and helping newcomers get started quickly, Microsoft pointed out.

Though the company has a point, isn't the essence of gameplay (especially sandbox games) about exploration and problem-solving? Of course, we all look up game guides from time to time. However, will AI assistance be taken too far and diminish the desire for players to explore on their own, thereby reducing the fun of gaming?

It reminds me of the clip of a YouTuber teaching a chimpanzee how to play Minecraft.