Microsoft eyes 50 million sales with new AI-powered PCs

• The company expects to sell over 50 million AI-powered PCs in the next 12 months.

• Copilot Plus PCs are equipped with native generative AI tools, including a Chat GPT-like system.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has unveiled a new category of personal computers (PCs) equipped with native generative AI tools directly integrated into Windows, the company’s flagship operating system. The tech giant is anticipating sales of over 50 million “AI-powered PCs” in the next 12 months, driven by the growing demand for AI-enabled devices like Chat GPT.

“We’re introducing a whole new category of Windows PCs designed to unleash the power of AI on the device,” Nadella declared at a launch event at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington. “We’re calling this new category Copilot Plus…the fastest and most AI-ready Windows PCs ever.”

Among tech giants, Microsoft has been the most aggressive in integrating generative AI systems into its products, outpacing its rival Google in this domain. Microsoft’s Chat GPT-like AI system, dubbed Copilot, is already available across its products, including Teams, Outlook, and its Windows operating system. The company has even tried, so far unsuccessfully, to revamp its underperforming Bing search engine by infusing it with generative AI capabilities.

“These enhancements are the most compelling reason in a long time” to encourage users to upgrade to the latest version of their PC, said Microsoft Vice President Yusuf Mehdi.