Microsoft’s real AI challenge: Moving past the prototypes

Historically, Microsoft seems cursed: It’s often early to big technological shifts, and it’s great at prototyping them. But then, after a hype-filled launch where Microsoft celebrates its lead, the company seems to lose interest — while competitors pull ahead and release more polished products.

That’s what appears to have happened with Microsoft’s generative AI (genAI) plans. After a huge push with Bing Chat where Microsoft was the leading consumer AI company at an important moment, the company started moving much more slowly. Copilot use now appears