Microsoft is reportedly working on an advanced iteration of its personal assistant software, Cortana, rolling it out to both Apple and Android devices as a standalone app.
The updated software will use research from AI project, Einstein', Reuters reports, to launch an advanced version to be included on Windows 10 when it is released later this year.
Eric Horvitz, managing director of Microsoft Research who also took part in the Einstein project, told interviewers at the company's headquarters in Redmond, Washington: "This kind of technology, which can read and understand email, will play a central role in the next roll out of Cortana, which we are working on now for the fall time frame."
The potential availability of Cortana on Apple and Android devices ties into Microsoft's new strategy to concentrate on software that can be used across platforms.
At the Windows 10 launch event last month, it was revealed that Microsoft's Cortana would be integrated into the Office app for Windows Phone. This would appear as a new "Work Assistant", a tool that accepts voice commands.
Previous to this announcement, Bill Gates mentioned the company was working on a "Personal Agent" for Windows, saying: "One project I am working on with Microsoft is the Personal Agent which will remember everything and help you go back and find things and help you pick what things to pay attention to.
"The idea that you have to find applications and pick them and they each are trying to tell you what is new is just not [an] efficient model the agent will help solve this. It will work across all your devices."
