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Matthias Bastian
Matthias Bastian View the LinkedIn Profile of Matthias Bastian
Sep 10, 2025
AI in practice
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Read full article about: Microsoft rolls out new Copilot Audio mode powered by its MAI-Voice-1 model

Microsoft has added a new audio mode to Copilot, powered by its MAI-Voice-1 model. Users can choose from three modes: Emotive Mode for expressive, free-form delivery; Story Mode for storytelling with multiple voices; and Scripted Mode for exact, word-for-word playback. The tool features a wide range of voices and styles, from Shakespearean performances to sports commentary, and is available in Copilot Labs.

Video: Microsoft

Microsoft recently introduced MAI-1 as its first major language model and signed a deal with Anthropic to integrate its models into Office. Both moves signal that Microsoft is aiming for more independence from OpenAI.

Comment Source: Suleyman via LinkedIn
Maximilian Schreiner
Maximilian Schreiner View the LinkedIn Profile of Maximilian Schreiner
Sep 10, 2025
AI in practice
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Read full article about: "Man vs. Machine" hackathon split teams into human and AI-assisted for a coding showdown

At a weekend hackathon in San Francisco, more than 100 programmers faced off to see if they could outcode AI tools. The "Man vs. Machine" event randomly split 37 teams into "human" and "AI-assisted" groups. Winners took home $12,500 in prize money plus API credits from OpenAI and Anthropic. The hackathon was co-organized by research group METR, which previously found that AI coding tools can slow down experienced developers by 19 percent. In the finals, both sides were evenly matched—three teams without AI and three teams using AI assistance. The winning project: a code review tool with heatmaps, built with AI support. Second place went to a writing tool for authors, developed without any AI.

Comment Source: Wired
Maximilian Schreiner
Maximilian Schreiner View the LinkedIn Profile of Maximilian Schreiner
Sep 9, 2025
AI in practice
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Read full article about: Some hotel industry leaders see clear potential in AI agents to reduce reliance on OTAs

The rise of autonomous AI agents could threaten the core business model of platforms like Booking.com and Expedia, which rely on charging hotels a commission for bookings.

Max Niederhofer, a partner at Heartcore Capital and an investor in travel startups like GetYourGuide, told the Financial Times, "Fundamentally, [OTAs] are parasitic... If [hotels] don’t have any commission to pay, that’s 20 or so per cent they can use to give [customers] other things like a better room. Online travel agents’ ‘take rates’ are at risk."

Some in the hotel industry see "clear potential" in AI agents to help reduce hotels' dependence on OTAs, a shift that could put long-term pressure on the platforms' margins. However, HOTREC, the European hotel industry group, also warned that the technology could create a new "dependency cycle." For now, the technology is still in its early stages.

Comment Source: FT