By
Godfrey Benjamin
April 23rd, 2024
Microsoft will integrate Builder.ai’s AI assistant Natasha into its Teams video and chat software.
Tech giant Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) has taken its artificial intelligence (AI) efforts a notch higher. This follows after the firm recently splashed an undisclosed amount of investment funds on the startup company Builder.ai.
The broader part of the investment, however, is that moving forward, both Microsoft and Builder.ai are now in a strategic partnership.
Microsoft Continues to Eye AI Technology
For what it’s worth, Microsoft’s investment into Builder.ai is further validation of its attraction to AI technology. Lately, the tech giant has been quite fixated on AI that it reportedly pumped $13 billion into OpenAI. That is the company behind the fast-growing AI chatbot ChatGPT.
Coinspeaker also reported that Microsoft has finally rolled out AI-backed Bing to all its users. This was after incorporating the AI language processing software of OpenAI into its Bing search engine and Office productivity apps.
Without a doubt, Microsoft is doubling down on its AI efforts. And from all indications, it appears that it sees the opportunity as a way to ward off competition from fellow tech giant Google and position itself as a global leader in tech.
However, one other aspect that Microsoft is keen on is making AI easily accessible to all. That is, even to customers who are not exactly tech-savvy. And this is where Builder.ai comes in.
The startup, Builder.ai, is renowned for helping firms without any prior coding knowledge to build applications. Since launching in 2017, its software has helped various firms and individuals to develop and manage apps.
So, with the new partnership, Microsoft will look to integrate Builder.ai’s AI assistant Natasha into its Teams video and chat software. This is to allow its customers to build business apps within the platform, and with ease.
These goals align with Builder.ai’s as well. Speaking with CNBC on the matter, Builder.ai CEO Sachin Dev Duggal says:
“We’re all convinced that the future of software is going to be where the customer doesn’t need to be technical.”
He then added that the ultimate aim is to create a world where customers can build software, run software, and host software.