New tools: Microsoft on Thursday rolled out a series of artificial intelligence upgrades to Windows 11 that would make its Copilot AI assistant more appealing to users by making it easier to automate tasks and connect with services across devices. Users can now use the wake phrase “Hey Copilot” to activate the AI assistant and execute voice commands in a new opt-in feature on any Windows 11 PC, Microsoft says. Read more from Reuters.
Made in America: Walmart is doubling down on U.S. manufacturing, with CEO John Furner announcing new investments in American-made products and suppliers at CNBC’s Invest in America Forum. Nearly two-thirds of Walmart’s goods are already produced domestically, and a new beef processing plant in Kansas will add more than 600 jobs. Read more from CNBC.
Powering up: AI’s soaring power needs are spurring a “Bring Your Own Power” boom. Tech giants like OpenAI, Oracle and Musk’s xAI are building gas plants and fuel-cell systems to sidestep the strained U.S. grid. America must add 80 gigawatts of capacity annually to keep pace—but it’s building less than 65. Data centers consumed less than 2% of U.S. electricity before about 2020, but by 2028 could use as much as 12% of U.S. electricity, according to the Energy Department and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Read more from The Wall Street Journal.
