In its Annual Work Trend Index, Microsoft has, unsurprisingly, published some fresh data around AI in the workplace. The big stat is that according to its survey, 75% of “knowledge workers” are already using generative AI at work, with that number doubling in the last six months alone.
The survey defines “knowledge workers” as “those who typically work at a desk (whether in an office or at home),” which is a pretty broad demographic.
Companies have developed a range of policies around the use of AI. Some companies and organizations put bans on ChatGPT early on, while others, according to Microsoft, agree AI is a necessity, with 41% of leaders rebuilding their entire businesses from scratch to center them around AI. Reportedly, 79% of leaders need to start using AI to “stay competitive,” while 60% are worried that their organization “lacks a plan and vision to implement AI.”
Clearly, there’s a lot of anxiety in the air around the rapid rise of generative AI from the top.
Regardless of a company’s policies, though, you can’t get around that 75% statistic. In fact, Microsoft says 52% of these workers don’t want to admit that they’re using AI for “their most important tasks,” while 53% are worried that use of AI on these tasks will make them appear “replaceable.”
The survey goes on to say that 78% of these workers use their own AI tools to speed up tasks, regardless of whether or not their company is providing those tools or has a fleshed-out strategy for it.
Why, you might ask? Well, according to the survey, knowledge workers are overworked and burned out — and AI can help with that. “AI power users” say generative AI is helpful in a number of ways. For example, 92% find that AI makes workloads more manageable and boosts their creativity. And 91% even say AI makes them enjoy work more.
It goes without saying that all of this data points in favor of Microsoft, a company heavily invested in the use of AI. Copilot is being integrated throughout all its applications and services, including Windows itself. Even new laptops these days come with a built-in Copilot key for even more convenient AI access.
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.