FIRST LOOK: Microsoft is testing new hardware that brings artificial intelligence off the laptop screen and into dedicated devices that people can wear or keep on their desks. At its annual developer conference, the company showed two early hardware "concepts" designed to make its AI tools easier to access throughout the workday.
At its annual developer conference, the company introduced two early-stage hardware concepts designed to make AI agents easier to access throughout the workday. Instead of pulling up a laptop or opening an app, the idea is to let users interact with AI more fluidly using devices that sit on a desk or move with them.
The two prototypes are relatively straightforward devices, but they point to a different way of thinking about how people might use AI. One is a small cube with a touchscreen and voice controls, designed to sit on a desk. The other is a wearable device, described by Microsoft executive Steven Bathiche as "a wearable access badge," that can be clipped onto clothing or worn around the neck.
Both are built around AI agents already widely used by developers and other technical workers, particularly for writing and refining code. In practice, the devices are meant to keep those agents close at hand rather than require access through a laptop or desktop monitor.
