Microsoft Copilot is coming to your TV. Or at least, the web app is. Dual press releases from LG and Samsung detail how the firms are leaning into the AI hype.
I made this very rough mock up to give you an idea of what Copilot on your TV might look like: spoilers, it's just a website.(Image credit: Windows Central)
The holiday break is over, get back to work rubes. And by "get back to work" what I really mean is, slack off and read Windows Central. We're here for you, for now, and forever.
Even if you don't fancy reading our spectacular articles, another popular way to slack off is to get zombified in front of the TV. If you're someone who found themselves wishing they had more AI in their TV while watching WWE or playing Xbox, today is absolutely your lucky day.
Spotted by The Verge, LG and Samsung issued twin pressreleases detailing how the big tech firms hope to capitalize on the AI craze, and how Microsoft Copilot is on board.
LG's press release details a smorgasbord of AI buzzwords, explaining how LLMs (large language models) will help users revolutionize their TV viewing experience by allowing them to generate custom TV backgrounds using command prompts, and provide show recommendations by tracking your viewing habits. It's like Windows Recall, but instead of tracking your credit card information, it'll expose your secret binge sessions on guilty pleasures like Naked and Afraid and The Kardashians.
Where does Copilot come in? Well ... from the horse's mouth, as it were: "Access to Microsoft Copilot further streamlines the process, allowing users to efficiently find and organize complex information using contextual cues. For an even smoother and more engaging experience, the AI Chatbot proactively identifies potential user challenges and offers timely, effective solutions."
Basically, it sounds as though Copilot will arrive on LG TVs as a simple web app, which I'm not sure anyone really asked for. The same is essentially true on Samsung's end, who says: "In collaboration with Microsoft, Samsung announced the new Smart TVs and Smart Monitors featuring Microsoft Copilot. This partnership will enable users to explore a wide range of Copilot services, including personalized content recommendations."
Samsung and LG both are exploring how AI can deliver video enhancements for things like upscaling HD video to 4K while boosting frame smoothing, and things like that. Indeed, Samsung isn't closing the door on its close partner Google to that end, whose Gemini platform is catching up very rapidly to OpenAI-powered services: "Samsung also plans to work closely with leading AI partners such as Google and others to expand what Vision AI can do."
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Arguably starting on the back foot when it came to the AI craze, Google has rapidly caught up and emerged as a frontrunner for video generation technology in particular. Google has, however, stumbled repeatedly by trying to integrate AI services into YouTube and Google Search, both of which have been responsible for feeding false information into proceedings.
Consumers are still ambivalent towards AI apps and services
AI has come to dominate the landscape for Microsoft, who have yet to really offer a "killer app" for consumers via the technology. (Image credit: Windows Central)
For all the money speculators and investors are throwing at AI right now, I would argue there has yet to emerge a truly "killer app" or service for consumers. Copilot, ChatGPT, and Google Gemini generally just add extra steps to search engines, albeit with the banal capability to mimic human speech and steal revenue from websites they crib information from.
Business and creativity tools are a different story, however. Adobe has found various ways AI can enhance Photoshop and Premier offering genuine tools that save big on time, and Github and Visual Studio Copilot have become cornerstones of enhancing programming efficiency.
On the flip side, Microsoft's Copilot integration with Windows has barely made a blip on Google's search dominance, despite being preinstalled on millions of PCs. Microsoft's heavily advertised "Copilot+ PC" range has also been widely regarded as a flop so far, as prospective buyers shrug at Microsoft's propensity for building things consumer products nobody actually wants.
Still, there's absolutely no sign of the hype train ending any time soon. Companies like xAI, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Meta, and many more are racing to figure out how to be the first to truly mainstream the tech with the general audience, while figuring out to actually make a profit on the way. Who will be first?
Jez Corden is the Executive Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by tea. Follow on Twitter (X) and tune in to the XB2 Podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!
