In a bold move that could reshape the personal computing landscape, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella unveiled "Copilot Plus" on Monday – an entirely new category of Windows PCs engineered with generative AI capabilities built directly into the operating system itself.

"We are introducing an entirely new class of Windows PCs engineered to unleash the power of on-device AI," Nadella proclaimed at a launch event. "We call this new category 'Copilot Plus'...the fastest, most AI-ready Windows PCs ever built."

Powered by the same underlying technology as Microsoft's ChatGPT-like "Copilot" AI, these next-generation computers aim to seamlessly infuse generative AI's formidable capabilities into everyday computing tasks. Microsoft estimates a staggering 50 million "AI PCs" will be sold over the next 12 months alone, underscoring the rapacious appetite for devices supercharged with ChatGPT-style smarts.

"These improvements provide the most compelling reason to upgrade your PC in a long time," asserted Microsoft Vice President Yusuf Mehdi, who touted Copilot Plus PCs as 58% faster than Apple's M3 MacBook Air thanks to powerful AI-optimized chips.

Leading PC makers like Lenovo, Dell, Acer, and HP have already committed to releasing Copilot Plus models imbued with Microsoft's trailblazing software platform. And in a significant differentiator, all AI processing will occur locally on the device itself – no internet connection or subscription required.

So what can users expect? A radically streamlined computing experience where tasks like translation, image generation, and file navigation are simplified through natural language prompts and chatbot-style interactions in place of traditional inputs.

"AI offerings will include live translation, image generation and a state-of-the-art ability to interact with your computer through chats and simple prompts instead of clicking on files or drop-down menus," Mehdi explained.

Microsoft's pivot to position AI as the centerpiece of its product strategy has been applauded by Wall Street, with the tech titan recently dethroning Apple as the world's largest public company by market cap. Its $13 billion investment in OpenAI has granted access to foundational models like GPT-4 and DALL-E, feeding AI capabilities across the Microsoft ecosystem.

As Nadella framed it, "The advent of generative AI, coupled with simulation and digital twins technology, is at a tipping point right now, and that combination is going to change the trajectory of computing."

The audacious "Copilot Plus" unveiling comes amid an AI arms race, with Google and OpenAI itself showcasing major AI model updates just last week. It also foreshadows Apple's much-anticipated event next month, where ChatGPT integration and a potential OpenAI partnership are widely expected.

While excitement is palpable, concerns around AI's societal impacts loom, with authorities grappling to develop guardrails. But Microsoft's bold vision casts Copilot Plus as an inflection point – the dawn of a new era where AI becomes an intuitive, pervasive copilot for personal computing.

As Wedbush analyst Dan Ives proclaimed, "The spending on AI is unprecedented across the tech world and this is just the first phase of the AI Revolution playing out." With Copilot Plus, Microsoft has fired a defining salvo, bringing generative AI's power directly to users' fingertips.