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Science, Engineering Exhibition Sheds Light on Saudi Innovations

A training camp for the Saudi National Science and Engineering Team in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A training camp for the Saudi National Science and Engineering Team in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Science, Engineering Exhibition Sheds Light on Saudi Innovations

A training camp for the Saudi National Science and Engineering Team in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A training camp for the Saudi National Science and Engineering Team in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) has showcased the innovative ideas of 30 Saudi students.

ISEF 2021 is being held virtually in the US, with the participation of over 1,800 students from around the world showcasing their projects at the science fair.

King Abdul Aziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) announced its sponsorship of the innovations in the energy field at ISEF 2021.

Saudi Arabia first participated in ISEF in 2007 and has since then won 48 major and 27 special prizes. In 2020, the Kingdom received eight prizes, including five major and three special prizes.

Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman is set to meet virtually with a number of students from around the world that are taking part in this year’s edition.

In a statement, Mawhiba announced that it will present major prizes and sponsorships for the top four projects in the field of energy.

The foundation will also offer a number of special awards in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), including 12 grants and 12 cash prizes.

The statement explained that the foundation’s sponsorship of ISEF’s energy field stems from Vision 2030 and its awareness of the important role Saudi Arabia plays as a major source of energy, and its efforts to continue sustainable development by preserving energy sources.

Mawhiba stated that the awards it offers to international talents at the ISEF 2021 exhibition reflect its vision and mission to make innovation a sustainable way to invest in human capabilities.

There is an increasing trend towards the production of more renewable energy, which is expected to account for 40 percent of the planet's energy by 2040, according to Mawhiba.

The Mawhiba Foundation has offered 79 special awards, totaling $269,000, for 97 international students at the ISEF over the past ten years.

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Technology

Microsoft Revamps AI Copilot with New Voice, Reasoning Capabilities

Copilot logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. (Reuters)
Copilot logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. (Reuters)
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Microsoft Revamps AI Copilot with New Voice, Reasoning Capabilities

Copilot logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. (Reuters)
Copilot logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. (Reuters)

Microsoft has given its consumer Copilot, an artificial intelligence assistant, a more amiable voice in its latest update, with the chatbot also capable of analyzing web pages for interested users as they browse.

The US software maker now has "an entire army" of creative directors - among them psychologists, novelists and comedians - finessing the tone and style of Copilot to distinguish it, Mustafa Suleyman, chief executive of Microsoft AI, told Reuters in an interview.

In one demonstration of the updated Copilot, a consumer asked what housewarming gift to buy at a grocery store for a friend who did not drink wine. After some back-and-forth, Copilot said aloud: "Italian (olive) oils are the hot stuff right now. Tuscan's my go-to. Super peppery."

The feature rollout, starting Tuesday, is one of the first that Suleyman has overseen since Microsoft created his division in March to focus on consumer products and technology research.

Long identified with business software, Microsoft has had a much harder road in the consumer realm. Its Bing search engine, for instance, is still dwarfed by Google.

Suleyman is hoping for a bigger splash with Copilot, which launched last year in a crowded field of AI chatbots, including OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini.

Copilot's newly fashioned voice capabilities make it seem much more of an active listener, giving verbal cues like "cool" and "huh," Suleyman said.

Underlying the product are Microsoft AI, or "MAI," models, plus a technology suite from partner OpenAI, Suleyman said.

Suleyman added that consumers who spend $20 monthly for Copilot Pro can start testing a "Think Deeper" feature that reasons through choices, like whether to move to one city or another.

He said an additional test feature for paying subscribers, Copilot Vision, amounts to "digital pointing" - the ability for users to talk to AI about what they see in a Microsoft Edge browser. Consumers have to opt in, and the content they view will not be saved or used to train AI, Microsoft said.

These updates represent "glimmers" of AI that can be an "ever-present confidant, in your corner," Suleyman said. It's a vision he articulated as CEO of Inflection AI, whose top talent Microsoft poached in a closely watched deal this year.

Suleyman said that eventually, Copilot will learn context from consumers' Word documents, Windows desktops, even their gaming consoles if they grant permission.

Asked what Bill Gates, Microsoft's co-founder, thinks of the company's AI efforts, Suleyman said Gates was excited.

"He's always asking me about when Copilot can read and parse his emails. It's one of his favorite ones," Suleyman said. "We're on the case."