Written by | Neocortex Group
Edit | Jeff Wang
In the first week of 2024, the competition in the field of intelligence is already in full swing.
Microsoft's gigantic corporate machine has been fully mobilized around generative AI. In the last year, selling generative AI services to the B-side through the Azure cloud seemed to be Microsoft's main strategic goal, after all, Nadella's biggest achievement after taking office was to transform the traditional software company into a cloud computing company. However, at the end of 2023, as Microsoft separates Bing Chat on the search engine and Copilot in the form of plug-ins in Windows into separate products - Copilot, it seems that Microsoft is not only interested in the B-side business, but also hopes to become the traffic entrance of the C-side in the AI era.
So in the first week of 2024, Microsoft first brought the Copilot app to smartphones, and then worked with computer manufacturers to add a physical button to every Windows computer, the Copilot key. Through these two steps, Microsoft has its own entrance to the two most important carriers of everyone's digital life - smartphones and personal computers.
Microsoft's next step is naturally to use better product experience and cheaper prices to make these entrances people's first choice in the AI era. So Microsoft launched the "money capability" again, and at present, the mobile version of Copilot can use the GPT-4 model for free. You must know that OpenAI, the developer of GPT-4, can only use the GPT-3.5 model for free for users of its flagship product ChatGPT, and they need to pay $20 per month to use the GPT-4 model.
For OpenAI, which also wants to establish the first entrance, since it does not have the money ability of Microsoft, what can be done is to give users a unique product experience - GPT Store is one of OpenAI's killer features. As an app store, the GPT Store provides a platform that allows users to share and sell custom AI agents based on OpenAI's large language models, such as GPT-4. These AI Agents, known as GPTs, can be tailored to specific needs, such as explaining specific technical terms, guiding business negotiations, teaching English writing, and more.
The GPT Store was originally announced at OpenAI's DevDay developer conference in November 2023, but was forced to delay its launch due to the "Altman Strike" incident. However, on January 5, OpenAI said in an email to GPT developers that it would launch the GPT Store next week. At this point, OpenAI, as an AI model developer, has become more like a platform.
Compared with Microsoft and OpenAI, Google has lagged behind in entry-based products. Bard, its chatbot that benchmarks Copilot and ChatGPT, has only recently been replaced with the Gemini Pro model, which can benchmark GPT-3.5, and the Gemini Ultra model, which can benchmark GPT-4, will not be launched until January. However, the latest findings show that Bard may not be competitive in price in the future, and you will have to pay to use Bard supported by Gemini Ultra. The reason is that this week a user found a code on Bard's website that said that users have a chance to use Bard Advanced for free for 3 months, and Advanced refers to Bard supported by Gemini Ultra.
This is not good news for Google, the former AI tech giant that has been catching up with Microsoft and OpenAI in mid-2023, and it turns out that the distance has not been narrowed until now. Of course, for another tech giant, Apple, which has yet to release a single generative AI product, the problem will only get worse.
Apple's stock price fell nearly 7% in the week after the New Year, and some analysts believe that as more and more mobile phone companies have made generative AI the next competitive focus - just like the cameras in the past, Apple, which has not moved on AI so far, is worrying. Apple's old rival Samsung has confirmed that it will release its first AI phone, the Galaxy S24, in mid-January.
Of course, these Silicon Valley giants are not the only companies vying for the entrance to the AI era, and China's Internet giants are equally anxious about this entrance. Over the weekend, Baidu announced that its generative AI app Wenxin Yiyan had 100 million users, and this week, Alibaba loaded a picture video's "King of Dance" feature into its similar app, Tongyi Qianwen, which allows users to upload a full-body photo, even if it's a terracotta warrior, to make it dance the most popular "subject three" on Douyin.
For more news related to the field of AI, you can follow the following accounts, and the following content is produced by the neocortex team.
Key Points
Models
Microsoft launched a mobile version of Copilot, which is free to use GPT-4;
Microsoft brings a new entry point to Copilot – physical buttons;
GPT Store will launch next week, and ChatGPT will begin to be platformized;
Bard wants to launch a premium version, but for a fee;
Hardware
The share of generative AI phones will reach 40% in 2027;
Samsung will release an AI phone in the middle of this month.
Models
Microsoft launches a mobile version of Copilot, free with GPT-4
At the end of December 2023, Microsoft released the Copilot app on the Google Play App Store, and a few days later, the Copilot app was also available on the Apple App Store. However, Microsoft has not released a statement on the Copilot app, and the Copilot app has not entered the Apple App Store in China.
Or to catch up with ChatGPT's traffic, Copilot is currently free
Users can use the Copilot app to access Microsoft Copilot (formerly Bing Chat) for a similar experience, including querying questions, drafting emails, summarizing text, and using the Wensheng graph model DALL· E 3 creates an image.
In addition, when using the Copilot app, users can replace the underlying model with GPT-4 for free. You know, ChatGPT users can only use the GPT-3.5 model for free, and if they want to use the GPT-4 model, they need to pay $20 per month. This means that using Microsoft-developed Copilot is even more cost-effective than OpenAI's own ChatGPT.
However, this also means high costs. It was previously reported that in early 2023, GitHub Copilot was losing $20 per user per month. But for Microsoft, the money related to the ownership of the next generation of traffic entrances has to be smashed. After all, Copilot on mobile was launched half a year later than ChatGPT, and ChatGPT has tens of millions of new mobile phone users every month, and the number of downloads reached 19 million in November alone, while Copilot has just started on mobile phones.
Currently, users do not need to sign in to a Microsoft account to use the Copilot app. But after logging into a Microsoft account, users can ask more questions and have longer conversations. Microsoft is also continuing to update Copilot's underlying technology. At the beginning of December 2023, Microsoft will release GPT (including GPT-4 Turbo), DALL· Almost all the functionality of models such as the E 3 has been moved into the integrated Copilot product, and the knowledge base has been updated to April 2023 to reach a length of 128K contexts at a time.
相较于ChatGPT,Copilot的差异化优势是搜索
The separation of Copilot represents a shift in Microsoft's strategy to commercialize AI. Previously, Microsoft pursued to load generative AI capabilities into a range of existing products, from search to browsers and office software (on May 24, Microsoft released a series of Copilot family buckets). And a year after doing this, Microsoft chose to move Copilot from the back of the stage to the front of the stage:
In February 2023, Microsoft released Bing Chat, powered by the GPT-3.5 model, with the concept of "reinventing search," when the product had to be tied to Microsoft's Edge browser. Half a year later, Microsoft began to promote the independent development of Bing Chat and no longer attached to the browser Edge.
In July 2023, Caitlin Roulston, director of public relations at Microsoft, confirmed that Microsoft is testing users' access to Bing Chat in Safari and Chrome browsers, allowing test users to access Bing.com through these browsers and get the Bing Chat experience. However, test users found that the number of messages and characters in a single conversation was less than that provided by the Edge browser when testing Bing Chat through the Chrome browser. Microsoft also says that the best experience provider for Bing Chat is the Microsoft Edge browser.
In November 2023, in order to unify the brand and user experience, Microsoft integrated Bing Chat on the search engine and Copilot on Windows into a separate product, Copilot, which is completely separated from the Edge browser, and users can now use the service for free through copilot.microsoft.com.
Reference Links
https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/29/24019288/microsoft-copilot-app-available-iphone-ipad-ai
Microsoft brings a new entry point to Copilot – physical buttons
On January 4, Microsoft's official blog announced that it will bring a new physical button to Windows computers - the Copilot key, which can directly call the Windows Copilot intelligent assistant.
The last time Microsoft added buttons was back in 1994, when it added a button called Windows that could bring up the Windows Start menu, which was still Win95 at that time. Yusuf Mehdi, Chief Marketing Officer at Microsoft, said, "We see this as another transformative moment in the Windows journey, where the Copilot key will be the gateway to the world of AI on PCs. 」
As can be seen in the promotional video released by Microsoft, the Copilot key will be located to the right of the Alt key on the right side of the keyboard, which corresponds exactly to the Windows key located to the left of the left Alt key. Only when the user is logged in to their Microsoft account and presses the Copilot key will the Copilot Assistant be called, which you can use to generate images, text, music, and adjust computer settings. And when you are not logged into your Microsoft account, pressing it will start Windows Search.
Microsoft says the button is already on the latest computers from partner computer manufacturers, and attendees can see it at the ongoing 2024 International Consumer Electronics Show. And for ordinary consumers, a new computer with this button can be bought around March this year.
Reference Links:
https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2024/01/04/introducing-a-new-copilot-key-to-kick-off-the-year-of-ai-powered-windows-pcs/
GPT Store launches next week, and ChatGPT begins to become a platform
On January 5, OpenAI said in an email to GPT developers that it would launch the GPT Store next week, asking developers to ensure that their works comply with OpenAI's brand guidelines and reminding them to make their GPT works public. At this point, OpenAI, as an AI model developer, has become more like a platform.
What is GPT Store?
The GPT Store was originally announced at OpenAI's developer conference, DevDay, but was forced to delay its launch due to the "Altman Strike" incident.
The GPT Store provides a platform that allows users to share and sell custom AI agents based on OpenAI's large language models, such as GPT-4. These AI Agents, known as GPTs, can be tailored to specific needs, such as explaining specific technical terms, guiding business negotiations, teaching English writing, and more.
The upcoming GPT Store is only available to ChatGPT Plus users and enterprise subscribers. Although the details of the payment plan have not yet been announced, OpenAI plans to pay GPT developers a fee based on how GPT is used in the store. Ordinary users can access and use these customized AI applications through the GPT Store.
What does GPT Store mean?
The launch of GPTs lowers the barrier to entry for custom GPTs, allowing anyone interested in them to create and share their own GPT applications using OpenAI's technology. Users only need to upload some relevant files in the "knowledge" section of "Create a GPT" to train a GPT.
The launch of the GPT Store provides a business opportunity for developers to earn money by selling their innovative GPT-based apps. In addition, the launch of the GPT Store also means that the business of existing companies that specialize in providing customized AI solutions will be affected.
Reference Links
https://community.openai.com/t/the-gpt-store-will-launch-next-week/578337
Bard is going to launch a premium version, but for a fee
On January 5, Google Bard's website had a code that showed that users had the opportunity to use Bard Advanced for free for 3 months, and hinted that they would have to pay for Bard Advanced in the future. This may be the first time Google has tried to charge for AI chatbots.
What is Bard Advanced?
In December 2023, Google made its first mention of Bard Advanced, along with the release of a new large language model, Gemini. At the time, Google said that Bard Advanced would be launched in 2024 and said that Bard Advanced could introduce multimodal capabilities that would allow the understanding and processing of various types of input (such as images, audio, video, etc.) that are not limited to text.
Bard Advanced is an upgraded AI chatbot that Google plans to launch, which represents a more advanced version of Bard's services and features the highest-end version of Google's latest large language model, Gemini Ultra.
According to developer Dylan Roussel, Bard Advanced may have a feature codenamed Motoko, which may allow users to customize the robot, which is somewhat similar to OpenAI's GPTs. However, it's unclear whether users will be able to share these bots or pay to use the feature.
Bard's iterative journey
In March 2023, Google launched the Google Bard AI assistant based on the original AI technology and large language models. This version of Bard is designed to compete with products like OpenAI's ChatGPT;
In September 2023, Google announced an update to Bard that enhances Bard's capabilities to query, answer questions about YouTube videos in real-time, and integrate with Google's other services such as Gmail, Docs, Drive, and more;
In December 2023, Google upgraded Bard to run on a more advanced Gemini Pro model. This upgrade enhances Bard's comprehension, reasoning, and generation capabilities.
Reference Links:
https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/4/24025270/google-bard-advanced-paid-subscription
Hardware
Generative AI handsets to reach 40% share by 2027
On January 2, market research agency Counterpoint released a report saying that although the global smartphone market will continue to decline in 2023, the sales volume of the global high-end smartphone market (priced at $600 or more) will increase by 6% year-on-year, setting a new record. In addition, the agency also predicts that the shipment of generative AI phones will reach 100 million units in 2024 and maintain rapid growth.
Generative AI handsets to reach 40% share by 2027
Generative AI phones refer to smartphones that can run AI models locally on the phone, and currently mainly involve functions such as image construction, real-time translation, and personal assistants. According to a report by Counterpoint, generative AI smartphones are tentatively expected to ship more than 100 million units in 2024. By 2027, shipments are expected to reach 522 million units, accounting for 40% of global mobile phone shipments.
Counterpoint also expects Samsung and Qualcomm to take the lion's share of the generative AI handset market. Samsung is likely to hold nearly 50% of the market in the next two years, followed by major Chinese phone makers such as Xiaomi, vivo, Honor and OPPO. And Apple, which has yet to release a generative AI product, is likely to miss out on the opportunity, which may be one of the reasons why Apple's stock price plunged nearly 7% after the New Year.
On January 3, Samsung announced that it will host the first global hardware conference, Galaxy Unpacked 2024, on the 17th of this month, when it will unveil a major upgrade of its next-generation flagship device, the Galaxy S24, and the Galaxy AI features. In addition, Qualcomm is expected to become the main smartphone chip provider in the next two years, accounting for more than 80% of the market share, and MediaTek will follow.
Reference Links:
https://www.counterpointresearch.com/insights/global-premium-smartphone-market-continues-record-growth-2023/
https://www.counterpointresearch.com/insights/over-1-billion-generative-ai-smartphones-to-be-shipped-cumulatively-during-cy-2024-2027/
Samsung will release an AI phone in the middle of this month
On January 2, it was reported that Samsung plans to hold a new mobile phone launch event Galaxy Unpacked 2024 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California on the 17th of this month, and the official promotional poster reads "Galaxy AI is coming". At that time, Samsung will release its flagship model, the Galaxy S24, which is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 AI chip.
In November 2023, Samsung's Mobile Experience business announced that it will be equipped with "Galaxy AI", an AI service that will be installed in smartphones in the future, including "AI Live Translate Call", a call transcription function that will be integrated into mobile phone calls. In October 2023, there were rumors in the market that Samsung was going all out in artificial intelligence on its flagship phone, the Galaxy S24.
-END-
Microsoft and OpenAI are under antitrust investigation, OpenAI's non-profit entity will only earn $44,000 in 2022, and the EU Artificial Intelligence Act is about to be introduced...
Google releases Gemini, OpenAI postpones the release of GPT store, Microsoft releases a new version of Windows next year, AI functions are greatly enhanced...