Microsoft (MSFT, Financial) has announced a significant expansion of its AI ecosystem at its annual "Build" developer conference. The company will now incorporate Grok 3 and Grok 3 mini models from Elon Musk's xAI, alongside collaborations with French startup Mistral and German startup Black Forest Labs. This move allows Azure cloud users access to over 1,900 AI models, highlighting Microsoft's strategy to position itself as a neutral platform in the AI sector. The company aims to reduce reliance on OpenAI and broaden collaboration with various AI developers to enhance market influence and manage costs.
Additionally, Microsoft introduced "GitHub Copilot Agents," an AI programming tool designed to automate development tasks. This tool improves on previous models by autonomously completing programming tasks based on developer instructions. This mirrors similar advancements from OpenAI's "Codex," signaling increasing competition in AI development tools.
Microsoft anticipates reaching $13 billion in annual revenue from its AI business, driven by cloud infrastructure and AI applications. New tools were also unveiled to help businesses and developers integrate AI efficiently. Despite its expanding AI model repository, Microsoft's library currently excludes popular models from competitors like Alphabet (GOOGL) and Anthropic.
