Microsoft plays the Windows card in the AI game, with help from Nvidia

What happened

At an event in San Francisco, Microsoft announced features that will let Copilot read the files on a PC, take actions on the machine and run AI models locally instead of in the cloud. The company and its longtime partner Nvidia on Wednesday started taking orders for a new line of high-end Windows PCs built to run large AI models independent of the cloud. Microsoft is a software and software development company based in Redmond, and its products and services include Microsoft Windows. NVIDIA is a semiconductor company based in Santa Clara.

Microsoft also announced what it calls “Windows Hybrid Intelligence,” a set of features that will let its Copilot assistant read the files on a PC, take actions on the machine and opt to run AI models locally instead of in the cloud when it makes sense. New PCs built around an Nvidia chip, including a $2,599 Surface laptop, start shipping Oct. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, left, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang shake hands in front of new RTX Spark laptops at Microsoft’s Windows and Surface event in San Francisco on Wednesday.

Key facts

• At an event in San Francisco, Microsoft — announced: features that will let Copilot read the files on a PC, take actions on the machine and run AI models locally instead of in the cloud
• Microsoft also — announced: what it calls “Windows Hybrid Intelligence,” a set of features that will let its Copilot assistant read the files on a PC, take actions on the machine and opt to run AI models locally instead of in the cloud when it makes sense