Quick bits

🧩 Strategy: The challenge lies in creating AI tools that are not just innovative, but indispensable to users’ daily lives and work processes.

📊 Trends: Where’s The Generative AI ROI ?

🛠️ Training & Tools: Watch me build a 10 Year High Level Plan to build an AirCraft carrier in under 2 Minutes

🧩 Strategy

Microsoft has a plan to beat Apple and Google at AI. Here's how

In my view, back-end tech is destined to become ubiquitous, with each new improvement quickly matched by competitors. The real game-changer will be creating products with a UI that's not just functional but irresistibly simple, intuitive, and indispensable. Achieving this level of user experience is no easy feat, but it's the key to winning the AI race. One of the best early examples of nailing this is Cove.AI, which I demo below—showing just how powerful a seamless, user-friendly interface can be.

Executive Summary:

Microsoft is making bold moves to establish its Copilot AI as the go-to assistant for both work and personal use, aiming to outpace competitors like Apple, Google, and Adobe. With new updates that blend voice, vision, and conversational capabilities, Microsoft’s strategy is clear: make AI a seamless, indispensable part of everyday life. By expanding Copilot’s reach across platforms, including iOS and Android, and infusing it with advanced visual and auditory functions, Microsoft is setting the stage to lead in the AI space. However, challenges remain, particularly in AI chip development where rivals have a head start.

Key Points:

1. Expanding Beyond Business: Copilot for Everyone

• Microsoft’s Copilot has evolved from a productivity tool to a comprehensive AI assistant, now integrating conversational abilities, visual recognition, and even a virtual news anchor.

• By launching features on iOS and Android, Microsoft aims to reach consumers where they spend the most time, setting itself up as a cross-platform AI leader.

2. Innovative Features: Voice, Vision, and More

• The latest Copilot updates bring natural, human-like conversational skills and enhanced visual AI capabilities, allowing the assistant to analyze and interact with on-screen content.

• Copilot’s integration into everyday apps like Paint and Edge showcases Microsoft’s goal to make AI a natural part of users’ daily activities, from creative projects to browsing and news consumption.

3. Strategic Challenges: AI Chips and Market Competition

• Despite strong strides in AI software, Microsoft lags behind competitors like Google and Amazon in custom AI chip development, a critical area for scaling AI services.

• Analysts note that while Microsoft’s AI efforts are impressive, rivals are catching up, and the race to dominate the AI market will depend on continued innovation and infrastructure investment.

Great starter articles on AI-First:

📊 Trends

Where’s The Generative AI ROI? Start With The Supply Chain

Turning unstructured data into clear, actionable insights is where AI truly shines, and it’s a game-changer for industries still bogged down by manual processes. Automating tedious, error-prone tasks like data entry frees up human talent for more impactful work—an obvious win. This article showcases how companies are leveraging AI not to replace humans, but to supercharge their efficiency, allowing them to scale faster and smarter. It’s a perfect example of tech enhancing, not displacing, human performance, and it’s exactly the kind of innovation we need to see more of.

Executive Summary:

Generative AI is making waves in the supply chain sector, tackling the inefficiencies of handling unstructured documents. While the more flashy uses of AI have yet to generate profit, companies like Flexport are seeing real returns by using AI to automate and streamline their document processing, saving time and cutting costs. This approach highlights the potential of AI in solving "boring" but high-impact problems, signaling a promising direction for near-term ROI.

Key Points:

1. Automating Document Processing: Real ROI

• Flexport leverages generative AI to parse unstructured documents like shipping contracts and bills of lading, cutting down manual data entry.

• Their AI system processes 15,000 documents monthly, saving 80% of the time typically spent on these tasks and reducing costs significantly.

2. Improving Efficiency Without Cutting Jobs

• Flexport's AI solution doesn't replace employees; it enables the company to handle more volume efficiently, driving growth without layoffs.

• By automating complex tasks like applying customs rules, the company can scale faster and more accurately.

3. Future Ambitions: Voice AI and Beyond

• The company is exploring new applications, such as a voice AI that can engage with truckers to streamline logistics coordination.

• These practical, scalable solutions highlight how AI can transform industries by tackling essential, yet often overlooked, operational challenges.

Author: Alex Kantrowitz

🛠️ Training & Tools 

Cove.AI

I recently came across a new startup called Cove.AI, and I have to say, it's a game changer. Unlike traditional AI interfaces, which remind me of the old DOS prompt days, Cove.AI takes user interaction to a whole new level. It’s intuitive, fast, and designed to make complex tasks easier. For example, I was prepping for a talk at the Navy Postgraduate School in Monterey and wanted to show in real time to students how quickly I could create a 10-year project plan for building an aircraft carrier. I decided to test out Cove.AI - It suggested intelligent prompts for budget estimation, risk management, and stakeholder engagement, allowing me to explore and expand on different aspects seamlessly.

What really impressed me was how quickly and efficiently Cove.AI worked. In under two minutes, I had a high-level plan with visual breakdowns, strategies, and even communication frameworks. Normally, this would take hours or days, to put together. The fact that I could start with a basic outline and then drill down into specifics with just a few clicks showed me how powerful this tool is. Cove.AI transforms project planning into an interactive and engaging process, making it a must-have for anyone tackling large-scale, long-term projects.

Watch the video I created to see Cove.ai in action!