Microsoft Targets AI ‘Holy Grail’ With Windows ML 2.0

Microsoft announced Windows ML 2.0, an AI runtime designed to be the DirectX equivalent for AI development on Windows PCs. The technology aims to solve hardware compatibility issues by allowing AI models to run seamlessly across different hardware configurations including CPUs, GPUs, and NPUs from Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA. Built on the ONNX runtime, Windows ML 2.0 automatically handles hardware detection, dependency management, and performance optimization, eliminating the need for developers to create multiple versions for different hardware. The experimental version is currently available for testing, with Microsoft positioning it as a solution to simplify AI app development on Windows platforms.