The practical application of generative artificial intelligence has gone from an abstract, future concept to a concrete reality in a matter of mere months. Businesses and organizations large and small are scrambling to figure out if and how AI can help their people be more productive and efficient. For organizations using Microsoft software, the application of AI in a business environment is being led by the Microsoft Copilot platform.

Businesses at the enterprise level are also looking for ways AI can leverage the massive amounts of data generated daily by their organizations in increasingly productive ways. Many believe that such a massive undertaking can only be accomplished by a competent AI platform. Microsoft Copilot, with its integration into Microsoft 365, Azure, Windows and enterprise-wide data streams, is purported to be the AI that unlocks the creative and productive potential of an organization’s people and data.

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What is Microsoft Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot is a new AI product that combines the power of large language models with in-house enterprise data generated by the Microsoft Graph and Microsoft 365 applications. Using the power of AI and natural language conversations, users can find better answers to their questions and potentially create content from those answers. Copilot was developed on the ChatGPT platform and announced as an in-development platform at the July 2023 Microsoft Inspire conference.

There are two versions of Copilot: Microsoft 365 Copilot and a more general Microsoft Copilot. It is important to note that Microsoft 365 Copilot is different from the consumer and small business-oriented Copilot platform found in Bing Chat or non-enterprise versions of Microsoft 365. These Copilot LLMs are trained on more generalized aggregate data gathered across the internet and therefore tend to have more generalized results. Microsoft 365 Copilot will be dependent on the data generated by a specific, and only a specific, enterprise.

Microsoft 365 Copilot will be dependent on in-house, enterprise-generated data, while the more general Microsoft Copilot will use aggregate data pulled from the internet.

Both Copilot versions will be embedded in the Microsoft 365 apps including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams. This complete Microsoft 365 integration will allow an organization’s workers to be more creative and unlock productivity gains and potentially Strengthen their skills. In addition, Microsoft 365 Copilot will add AI-enabled Business Chat to the productivity suite, which will work across enterprise-specific data like calendars, emails, chats, documents, meetings and contacts to help employees communicate easier and better.

What are business benefits to using Microsoft Copilot?

Assuming Microsoft Copilot works as advertised, an employee could jump-start a project (e.g., email, presentation, report, data visualization) with an AI-generated first draft. With that foundation, the employee can quickly move on to refining and iterating a second draft and then a final draft, cutting at least one step from the process. This should make the employee more efficient and productive, and it could allow for the development of new skills.

For Microsoft 365 Copilot, the key to these productivity gains will be the application of enterprise-specific data to the new project from the start. Using data internally generated by the enterprise from emails, documents, calendars, contacts and so on, presumably the project will be jump-started with limited, and more importantly, pertinent assets.

SEE: Hiring kit: Prompt engineer (TechRepublic Premium)

For example, if an enterprise employee at Ford is creating a presentation that needs to show movement, the AI – if properly trained – should use a Ford-related product rather than a similar product from one of its competitors. An AI trained by data culled from the internet may come to a different conclusion and defeat the purpose of deploying enterprise-specific generative AI.

How does Microsoft plan to integrate Copilot into its applications?

Copilot will be integrated into the fabric of all Microsoft 365 applications. When an employee starts a Word document, reads an email in Outlook, opens an Excel report or updates a PowerPoint presentation, Copilot and its generative AI abilities will be there to assist when called upon.

The specifics of how each Microsoft 365 application will use Copilot are still in development, and many use cases will likely only be discovered when users can actually use the platform. However, Microsoft has outlined some of its basic ideas for Copilot in a business environment.

Below are examples of commands a user might deliver Microsoft Copilot.

Copilot in Word

• Draft a two-page project proposal based on data gleaned from a Word document (i.e., either the one you are currently working on or one that you specify by name) and an Excel worksheet.
• Make the third paragraph in the current document more concise and change the tone of the document to be more casual.
• Create a one-page draft based on this rough outline.

Copilot in Excel

• Break down this sales data by type and channel and then insert a table.
• Project the impact of a variable change in this data and then generate a chart to help visualize it.
• Model how a change to the growth rate for a variable would impact my gross margin.

Copilot in PowerPoint

• Create a five-slide presentation based on this Word document and include relevant stock photos.
• Consolidate this presentation into a three-slide summary.
• Reformat these three bullets (in a specific PowerPoint presentation) into three columns, each with a picture.

Copilot in Outlook

• Summarize the emails missed while out of the office last week and flag any important items.
• Draft a response thanking the senders of an email and asking for more details about their second and third points.
• Shorten a draft email and make the tone more professional.
• Invite everyone to a lunch-and-learn about new product launches next Thursday at noon. Mention that lunch is provided.

Copilot in Business Chat

• Summarize the chats, emails and documents about the course being discussed.
• What is the next milestone for a project? What risks were identified? Brainstorm a list of potential mitigations.
• Write a new planning overview in the style of this (specified existing) document that contains the planning timeline from a different document and incorporate the project list in the email from this person (specifying a user’s name).

What are potential problems and caveats with Microsoft Copilot?

All AI platforms are only as good as their training; if Microsoft Copilot is modeled after data that is incomplete, biased, wrong or otherwise corrupt, the suggestions it generates, regardless of who is asking, will be incomplete, biased, wrong or otherwise corrupt. The old adage of garbage in equals garbage out still applies.

For Microsoft 365 Copilot, training will be particularly important because all the data used for that Copilot AI platform will be internally generated and gathered. Enterprises looking to properly apply AI will have to carefully monitor the data Copilot can access. For example, a business may not want brainstorming documents and meeting notes to be part of the data stream; rejected ideas may taint the data stream and propagate throughout the organization.

For general versions of Microsoft Copilot, organizations and users will have to be aware that inherent biases, fads, misguided trends and other transitory events will likely color some of the AI-generated output. Not every passing fancy on the internet should make its way into official organizational documents.

In addition to this potential problem, especially for Microsoft 365 Copilot implementations, is the tendency of some departments to silo their data behind firewalls. New products and services developing under non-disclosure agreements, for example, will often be cut off from the normal organizational data stream. Businesses will have to decide whether hiding data from the AI in such cases is more beneficial than allowing AI access.

The most important caveat for Microsoft Copilot is the platform is still in development. The use cases outlined by Microsoft at the 2023 Inspire conference are the company’s visions of how the platform will work. Once Copilot is released to the public, what the AI platform is capable of, good or bad, will be revealed. Until then, we will be dealing with potential and perhaps some wishful marketing.

What are the alternatives to Microsoft Copilot?

Generative AI is arguably the hottest trend in technology innovation for 2023, so it stands to reason there are many new and in-development AI platforms ready to compete with Microsoft Copilot.

Even though Copilot is based on ChatGPT, the AI chatbot is available as a standalone platform and therefore should be considered a competitor. AI is already incorporated into Microsoft Edge in the form of Bing Chat, and an AI has recently been released for the Google search engine and Chrome. Technology experts have reported that Apple is developing its own AI platform. It seems that AI will be integrated into just about every digital application we use on a computing device.

Major tech companies including Salesforce, Oracle and Adobe are all working on AI platforms. There are also dozens of smaller independent developers working on their own versions of an AI platform. Plus, there are a multitude of AI competitors working on specialized platforms that will bind LLMs and generative AI principles to specific applications. Businesses will likely spend a lot of time wading through AI platform possibilities.

How much does Microsoft Copilot cost?

As revealed during the 2023 Inspire conference, Microsoft 365 Copilot will cost $30/user/month. At first glance, this price point seems expensive, but it is vital to remember this version of the platform is designed for large business enterprises. For a large enterprise with thousands of employees, and assuming the platform delivers what Microsoft promises, that $30 could end up being a bargain. That is a big assumption to make at this early point in development.

The consumer and SMB versions of Microsoft Copilot will likely be priced lower than the enterprise counterpart. Bing Chat, which is also based on ChatGPT, is available now and for free as an integral part of Microsoft Edge. It is also likely that some features restricted or otherwise modified version of Copilot will be available for SMBs too small to have meaningful in-house generated data available to train the AI platform.

The pricing for all the versions of Microsoft Copilot is likely to change as development of the platform continues. With the large number of competitors in the AI platform space, it seems almost certain the cost of these services will change significantly.

Which businesses should consider Microsoft Copilot, and which should not?

At $30/user/month, only certain large enterprises will be able to afford large numbers of employees subscribing to the Microsoft 365 Copilot platform. In addition to the subscription fee, such employers will also have to account for the extra expenses associated with generating, collecting and collating accurate and useful data for the AI and LLMs to train on. This is a major undertaking, and the decision to implement the Copilot platform will take a significant commitment.

Large enterprises will have to decide whether the productivity benefits of using the Microsoft 365 Copilot platform outweigh the initial costs of developing and maintaining the platform – and then paying for it indefinitely.

For individuals and small businesses with little to no LLM-ready data, the consumer level versions of Microsoft Copilot is available for free. Bing Chat is already available in Microsoft Edge for everyone. Some form of low-cost or no-cost version of Copilot will likely be available for certain versions of Microsoft 365.

Only time will tell if the generative AI capabilities of Copilot are worth the time necessary to use them.

When will Microsoft Copilot be available?

As of August 2023, Microsoft Copilot is in the testing phase of development. A limited number of organizations and Microsoft Insiders are testing the AI and providing feedback on what works and what does not work.

There is currently no officially announced release date for any version of Microsoft Copilot.

Excel, the versatile spreadsheet synonym for professionals across industries, is undergoing a significant update to simplify the intricate process of formula crafting and editing. Microsoft has introduced the monospaced font in Excel’s formula bar, providing users with more streamlined readability and functional advantages.

We are excited to announce a change that will make your formula editing experience easier and more enjoyable: monospaced font in the formula bar. A monospaced font is a type of font where each character has the same width, regardless of its shape or style. This means that your formulas will be aligned and spaced evenly, making them easier to read and debug, the tech titan declared in a latest blog post.

Formulas, a core Excel feature driving calculations, data analysis, and report creation, are set to undergo a noticeable yet non-intrusive transformation for improved value delivery.

Monospaced Font: What Makes It Special?

Monospaced fonts, carrying alternative names like fixed-width or typewriter font, contain a unique characteristic: each character uniformly shares the same horizontal width. The structural plan offered by this font might seem mundane but have significant functional implications in a coding landscape.

Noted benefits primarily focus on heightened readability and error detection:

1. Alignment and Readability: Monospaced font ensures neat alignment and readability. By allocating equal space to each character, the formula structure remains organized, improves indentation visibility, and allows formulae to be read with ease.
2. Error Detection and Visual Parsing: The uniform character spacing enables fast error and typo detection, aiding quick resolution. It also simplifies understanding complex structures, helping users quickly grasp patterns, nested levels, and relationships within the formula, catching mistakes early in the process.
3. Cross-Platform Consistency: Monospaced font shines by maintaining the formula’s structure and readability across different platforms, providing a unified user experience. The copy-pasting of code while preserving the formatting is a standout functionality.

Experience the Formula Upgrade:

Trial the change by editing or authoring a formula in the formula bar. This subtle yet essential transformation solely affects the formula bar’s appearance, leaving the genuine spreadsheet aesthetics untouched.

The new formula bar font, currently under Beta testing on Windows, will first be rolled out for Excel for Windows users later. Microsoft also hypothesized the possibility of implementing the monospaced font in PowerPoint’s formula bar following the response and feedback.

The ThinkPhone is a device centred on productivity, durability, and security, but Motorola and Microsoft are making it even better. In a recent update, Motorola shared that their latest partnership with Microsoft will bring a ton of improvements to this device. The improvements will make this device’s iconic red button even more functional than it was at its launch.

With this partnership, the ThinkPhone will be getting Microsoft 365, bringing a ton of productivity tools. Users of this device with a Teams account can now access their accounts while working directly from their smartphone. The smartphone in question here is none other than the Lenovo ThinkPhone which was built for a particular niche of users in mind.

Motorola’s latest partnership with Microsoft brings new functions to the red button accessible when a user signs into their Teams account. Users can now connect their ThinkPhone to an external display and work effortlessly from their smartphone. Here is everything you need to know about the new features that this partnership brings along.

The ThinkPhone made its entry into the smartphone market back in January. This device was made by Motorola for Lenovo as part of the brand’s Think Productivity line-up. Asides from its impressive specifications, this device comes with a ton of security features unique to Lenovo Think products.

Additionally, this device comes with an iconic red button that is notable within the Lenovo Think series. This button is customizable, and users of the ThinkPhone can set it to pull up any function they wish to quickly access. But with the Motorola and Microsoft partnership, a more productive function is coming to the red button.

Now, users can quickly access their Microsoft Teams account by pressing this button. This will enable them to work on their smartphone more freely at the tap of a button. Having their Teams account on their ThinkPhone will enable users to work with more flexibility wherever they find themselves.

To emulate the working environment, ThinkPhone users can connect their phones to a display via a USB-C cable. This will help them work using the larger display while relying on their Teams account signed in on their smartphone. While this flexible style of working might seem like a threat to the team’s security, the ThinkPhone has top-notch security features.

With this partnership, the ThinkPhone will become more productive for users. This is a new way to work, and Motorola is looking out to teams around the world to work freely. What do you think about the Lenovo ThinkPhone by Motorola and this new productivity feature?

© 2023 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal result after THA is a durable implant that provides the patient with a painless, fully functional hip. Obtaining this result is significantly influenced by patient factors that can be determined preoperatively. Patient satisfaction is a subjective measure that is highly dependent on the patient's preoperative state. For example, patients with advanced arthritis and severe pain notice the largest subjective improvement after THA and are often the most satisfied patients, even if their ultimate function is not ideal. Conversely, patients with an objectively excellent result are sometimes found to be less satisfied due to the fact that their subjective outcome is not such a dramatic change compared with the preoperative condition.^[9]

Similarly, the ultimate functionality after THA is generally related to preoperative strength and function. For example, a patient who has been wheelchair bound cannot expect to have the same functional outcome as a latest triathlete who had severe pain but no limp before surgery. Muscle strength and flexibility are required to ambulate with a normal gait pattern. Comorbid conditions such as spinal stenosis or arthritis of the spine, knee or ankle can diminish the ultimate functional result after THA.

Implant longevity has always been a primary concern for surgeons, especially when performing a THA on a younger patient. Although implant-related characteristics are certainly factors that influence their longevity, it is also quite clear that patient-related characteristics are contributory. Certainly as the age of the patient advances there is a lower likelihood that the implants will mechanically fail through their lifetime. Furthermore, elevated activity levels and mechanical stresses on the implants can lead to a shortened implant lifespan, as evidenced by a shorter time to revision after THA in very young patients.^[15,16] In general, when considering implant longevity, advancing age is considered a desirable patient characteristic.^[17] However, this preference for older patients is tempered by the increasing rate of medical comorbidities in the elderly. As preoperative medical comorbidities increase, so does the likelihood that a perioperative complication will occur. Therefore, defining the ideal candidate for hip replacement should specify that the older patient has few comorbidities.

A description of the ideal candidate for THA is, therefore, predicated on several considerations that would be associated with an ideal outcome as described above. A healthy elderly patient who is a community ambulator requiring either a cane or no assist device provides an optimal combination of characteristics. They would likely have an excellent functional result with minimal risk of implant failure through their expected lifetime. If this patient also had advanced arthritis and significant pain before surgery, the level of patient satisfaction after surgery would also be optimized.

The great news is that some of these drinks are actually worth making a little extra room in the fridge—and for more than just thirst-quenching hydration. Case in point: Ruby, the hibiscus beverage brand that’s putting the fun in functional beverages. It almost goes without saying I was instantly drawn to the prospect of a new, more exciting way to consume hibiscus, considering it’s an ingredient that’s long been touted for its impressive health benefits—it's high in antioxidants and packed with vitamins, to name a few. (Its snazzy packaging and branding also helped.)

So, how about we crack open a can of sparkling hibiscus soda while delving into the benefits of the drink with help from a registered dietitian?

What’s inside a can of this hibiscus water soda

First things first, let’s delve into the product. Ruby is a hibiscus beverage brand that sells a variety of products ranging from functional sparkling sodas to infused water. Today, I’ll be honing in on their line of sparkling drinks, which are free of artificial ingredients, preservatives, and sweeteners, and come in a variety of flavors (including Original, Berry Cherry, Fuji Apple, Concord Grape, and Blood Orange). According to the makers behind Ruby, the drink was formulated to contain over 1,000 antioxidants like beta-carotene and vitamin C, as well as additional vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes.

Health benefits of hibiscus drinks, according to a registered dietitian

While hibiscus soda is a novel product, consuming hibiscus in other ways (like tea) is far from new in many parts of the world. In fact, it’s a globally-enjoyed beverage in many cultures, including preparations like chicha de saril in Panama, karkadé in North Africa, and agua de jamaica in North, Central, and South America, to name a few.

In addition to its delicious flavor and sunny magenta hue, Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LD, CLEC, CPT says that hibiscus is rich in health benefits (especially the sepals that protect the bud of the flower—this is the edible portion of the plant). “Hibiscus water, in its purest form, can be a hydrating beverage with some impressive features and benefits. Hibiscus water is a natural source of antioxidants and, therefore, may help protect your cells from oxidative damage,” Manaker says.

What’s more, hibiscus contains vitamin C and an anti-inflammatory plant compound known as anthocyanin, which gives the plant its gorgeous color. "Anthocyanin has been linked to heart health and brain health benefits," says Manaker. That said, like most things in life, consuming hibiscus in moderation is key. (Many common preparations of hibiscus drinks include an excessive amount of sugar, which Manaker notes is best to limit.)

So, how does Ruby stack up against other hibiscus drinks?

From a Manaker’s perspective, Ruby is a fun alternative to sparkling water or even soda, especially for those who like the effervescence of a hydrating drink (with a few functional benefits). “The brand offers varieties that contain no added sugar, which makes for a sweetener-free option that is free from anything artificial,” Manaker says.

That said, she points out that some of the flavored options can contain up to 10 grams of added sugar. “The American Heart Association [AHA] recommends that most limit their added sugar to around 25 grams per day. While this drink will be a better option than a traditional soda—which can contain over 30 grams of added sugar per can—it’s still contributing almost 40 percent of the limit of added sugar a person should be consuming every day per this association,” Manaker says. All to say: If you're concerned about added sugar, go for Ruby’s unsweetened options. It's really a matter of personal preference.

I tried hibiscus water soda, and here’s what I thought

From a flavor perspective, there’s no denying that Ruby’s sparkling hibiscus water drinks are a ten out of ten. My favorite was the Fuji Apple option which was perfectly fizzy and tasted sweet and slightly tangy, like a freshly-picked apple from the orchard. As Manaker pointed out, this drink was sweet (has 10 grams of sugar per serving derived from organic fruit)—but not in an offensive way. To that end, the product is only made with three ingredients: water (we love her), organic apple juice, and organic brewed hibiscus. Plain and simple.

On days when I’m well below my sugar intake for the day, this drink is the perfect thing to sip on. It’s super tasty, hydrating, and packed with antioxidants. Honestly, do I wish it contained less sugar? Not really. Considering it comes from natural food sources and tastes so darn great, I’m not too panic as long as I simply consume it in moderation. The perk of adding a bit of hibiscus into my daily routine is convincing enough for me. And, when I’m panic about consuming too much sugar in a day, their Unsweetened Hibiscus Water will do the trick.

How to make a quick and easy anti-inflammatory ginger shot:

ABB will collaborate with Microsoft on the integration of Azure OpenAI Service into the ABB Ability Genix Industrial Analytics and AI suite.

The companies will work together on the implementation of generative AI technology to help industrial customers unlock insights hidden in operational data. Improved data collection and remediation will enable significant gains in efficiency and productivity, asset reliability, operational safety, lower energy consumption, and reduced environmental impact.

ABB will integrate generative AI through Azure OpenAI Service including large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4 into the Genix platform and applications, enabling functionality such as code, image, and text generation. Once launched, the new application – Genix Copilot – will enhance user experience by offering intuitive functionality and by streamlining the flow of contextualized data across processes and operations.

This will provide industry executives, functional specialists, and shop floor engineers with real-time actionable insights for better decision-making and increased productivity. Such insights have the potential to extend asset lifespan by up to 20 percent and minimize unplanned downtime by up to 60%.

In addition, the solution will have the capability to help customers achieve their sustainability and energy transition objectives by providing advanced monitoring and optimization insights into the industrial greenhouse gas emissions and energy usage.

Genix Copilot will also enable capturing an operators’ knowledge and facilitating collaborative decision-making across various roles, with a strong emphasis on safeguarding data and knowledge within the enterprise.

ABB Ability Genix is a modular industrial IoT, analytics and AI platform that embeds industry-specific domain knowledge to drive business outcomes and ensures the protection of customers’ existing investments. Businesses running Genix have seen up to 40% cost savings in operations and maintenance, up to 30% improvement in production efficiency, and up to 25% improvements in energy and emission optimisation. The addition of generative AI capabilities to Genix are expected to further increase these benefits.

“This is an important step in ABB and Microsoft’s strategic partnership which will accelerate the digital transformation of the industrial sector,” says Rajesh Ramachandran, global chief digital officer at ABB Process Automation. “We believe Genix Copilot will help industrial customers achieve their combined objectives of sustainability, operational excellence and enhanced asset performance.

“Extending the generative AI capabilities across ABB’s industrial digital solutions will usher customers into a new era of AI enabling billions of better decisions.”

said Ralph Haupter, president: EMEA at Microsoft, adds: “We believe organizations that will be best positioned for long-term success are those that modernize and scale their data platforms. Applying advanced digital capabilities such as Azure OpenAI Service will strengthen ABB’s Genix to effectively manage the contextualized data while also helping drive the digital transformation critical for growth and lasting change.”