Microsoft will share a Surface and Windows ‘AI vision’ in May

Microsoft will kick off its Build conference with a special event on May 20 focusing on the company’s “AI vision,” the company said Monday.

“Satya Nadella will share our AI vision across hardware and software as part of a dedicated news briefing,” the company said, the day before Microsoft Build kicks off in Seattle. The “hardware” in question is expected to be the consumer version of the Surface Pro 10 and the Surface Laptop 6, which should ship with versions of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (Arm) chip inside, according to reports.

Microsoft said that the event will not be livestreamed.

That Microsoft would combine hardware and software — or in this case, AI — isn’t surprising. Surface hardware has typically been a showcase for Microsoft’s latest software, whether it be a new operating system, the latest Office / Microsoft 365 innovations, or AI. According to Windows Central, Microsoft should begin showing off an AI-powered version of the Timeline app within Windows 11, possibly at the May event. We’ve already seen some innovations, such as AI-powered audio, debut within test builds of Windows 11.

Will the Surface Laptop 6 and the Surface Pro 10 be able to keep up with Intel’s Meteor Lake? Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragons looked quite competitive when we saw them tested late last year. Whether they’ll truly offer viable competition is something we won’t know until after we see and test them.