foundation models

Microsoft’s AI unit has publicly launched two in‑house models — MAI‑Voice‑1 and MAI‑1‑preview — signaling a deliberate shift from purely integrating third‑party frontier models toward building product‑focused models Microsoft can own, tune, and route inside Copilot and Azure. Background...

Microsoft’s move to ship MAI‑Voice‑1 and MAI‑1‑preview marks a clear strategic inflection: the company is no longer only a buyer and integrator of frontier models but a serious producer of first‑party models engineered to run inside Copilot and across Microsoft’s consumer surfaces. Microsoft...

Microsoft has quietly moved from heavy reliance on partner models to shipping its own large-scale, product-ready AI building blocks with the launch of MAI‑Voice‑1 and the public preview of MAI‑1‑preview, signaling a new phase in how voice and foundation models will power Copilot, Windows...

Microsoft has quietly shipped its first fully in‑house AI models — MAI‑Voice‑1 and MAI‑1‑preview — marking a deliberate shift in strategy that reduces dependence on OpenAI’s stack and accelerates Microsoft’s plan to own more of the compute, models, and product surface area that power Copilot...

Microsoft has quietly crossed a strategic Rubicon: after years of tight integration with OpenAI, the company has begun shipping its own first-party foundation models — notably MAI-Voice-1 and MAI-1-preview — and is positioning them inside Copilot and Azure as the start of a long-term bid to...

Microsoft’s AI group quietly cut the ribbon on two home‑grown foundation models on August 28, releasing a high‑speed speech engine and a consumer‑focused text model that together signal a strategic shift: Microsoft intends to build its own AI muscle even as its long, lucrative relationship with...

Microsoft’s latest hiring playbook has moved from raises and restricted stock to what looks like an all-out bidding war: internal documents obtained by reporters show the company is actively targeting engineers and researchers at Meta with multimillion- and—at times—near–multibillion-dollar...

The generative AI arms race has become a high-stakes contest, marked not only by constant releases and model upgrades but by a cutthroat battle for the world’s brightest minds. In recent months, the tech industry has witnessed a stunning escalation as behemoths like Meta and Microsoft...

The transformative impact of artificial intelligence on modern enterprises has become a defining theme of the digital age. Across boardrooms and IT departments worldwide, executives and engineers alike are reconsidering everything from product workflows to customer engagement strategies. With...

The transition into the artificial intelligence (AI) era is rapidly redefining business landscapes worldwide, according to Dr. Ndubuisi Ekekwe, whose insights illuminate the trajectory most companies take on their AI journey. As revealed in his June 2025 commentary on Tekedia, three pivotal...

Every year, communities around the globe brace for the impact of tropical cyclones, anxiously monitoring expert forecasts that guide evacuations and emergency response. For decades, the lifeblood of these predictions has flowed from traditional physics-based models—massive computer programs...

Communities worldwide are facing an era in which extreme weather is no longer a rare ordeal but a recurring threat, bringing with it devastating hurricanes, sandstorms, and environmental events that challenge even the most advanced forecasting systems. The escalating need for accurate, rapid...

Microsoft’s journey as both a leader and “customer zero” in artificial intelligence innovation is emblematic of how entrenched research traditions can be disrupted—and ultimately enhanced—by the very technologies they seek to understand and improve. The company’s deliberate approach to...

Microsoft Unveils Magma: Bridging the Physical-Digital Divide Microsoft is once again pushing the boundaries of technology with its latest announcement—a revolutionary foundational model named Magma. Designed to seamlessly integrate operations in both physical and digital environments, Magma...

The accelerating pace of artificial intelligence research is inspiring a wave of innovation that reaches far beyond the traditional realms of computing. A new program—Accelerating Foundation Models Research (AFMR)—is sparking a transformative dialogue on how modern AI, particularly large...