Lounge
Explained: Why everyone’s talking about the Microsoft AI Copilot+ PCs
Summary
Microsoft says the new Copilot+ PCs are the fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever made. But how will these AI computers help users?How smart can your personal computer (PC) become? Earlier this week, Microsoft announced a new line of Windows PCs that will bring the power of artificial intelligence (AI) right to every user’s desk.
Microsoft says the new Copilot+ PCs are the fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever made. Users will be able to create AI-powered images, use live language translation, and try a host of many other AI experiences (even if they are offline) on the devices locally. Let’s take a closer look.
What’s the deal with AI PCs?
Think of it this way. In the past – and even now in some use cases – a lot of our computing work happens in the cloud. Take, for example, a transcribing software or app. You upload a recording to the app, which then sends it to the cloud for transcription. All this will change with AI PCs.
AI PCs come equipped with a CPU (central processing unit), GPU (graphics processing unit), and, crucially, an NPU, which is a neural processing unit. According to an Intel article, NPUs are specialized accelerators that can handle AI and machine learning tasks on a user’s PC instead of sending data to be processed in a backend cloud system.
Also read: Google Pixel 8a review: The best Android smartphone to buy today?
As an earlier article in Lounge explained, an NPU is a dedicated AI processor, specifically designed to take some of the load off your computer’s CPU and GPU when handling AI-related workload.
Essentially, in an AI PC, which will have more computing power and storage, you can run large language models (LLMs) locally. Such devices will not only save time, but, according to a Microsoft blog, also help with productivity and remove previous limitations such as latency, privacy, and cost. This does not mean that the reliance on cloud computing is being sidelined entirely. As the Microsoft blog says, the best AI experiences will only be possible when the cloud and device work together in tandem.
Fastest ever Windows PCs built
Whether it’s a smartphone or a new computer, every discussion today revolves around how fast the device can be.
The Microsoft Copilot+ PCs are equipped with a new system architecture that brings together the power of its CPU, GPU and NPU. Add to that LLMs running in its Azure Cloud along with its small language models (SLMs), these new Copilot+ PCs are expected to deliver powerful performance not seen in PCs before.
“They are up to 20x more powerful and up to 100x as efficient for running AI workloads and deliver industry-leading AI acceleration. They outperform Apple’s MacBook Air 15" by up to 58% in sustained multithreaded performance, all while delivering all-day battery life," Yusuf Mehdi, executive vice-president, consumer chief marketing officer, wrote in the Microsoft blog post. The devices will also have all-day battery life that will allow for longer hours of video playback and web browsing, among other things.
According to Microsoft, the first Copilot+ PCs will launch with both the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus processors. They will also feature the custom Qualcomm Oryon CPU.
In terms of security and privacy, the Microsoft Pluton Security processor will be enabled by default on all Copilot+ PCs. The Pluton Security processor is built into the CPU and can safeguard sensitive data such as personal information, credentials, and encryption keys.
PCs with a photographic memory?
A big selling point for AI – be it on any device – is the level of personalization and customization it offers. Often, you struggle to find a specific file on your computer, or a website that you wanted to bookmark, but forgot to. It could even be a specific email that you now just can’t locate in a cluttered inbox.
The CoPilot+ PCs come with an AI feature called ‘Recall’ that is aimed at solving this conundrum. With Recall, a user can access virtually (you will be able to see a timeline across any application) what they have seen or done on their PC. It almost feels like having photographic memory, Mehdi’s blog post says.
According to the Microsoft website, the Recall feature used something known as a personal semantic index, which enhances the features of Microsoft 365 that allow a user to find relevant content based on keywords, personal preferences, and social connections.
The ‘Recall’ feature has not only raised eyebrows but also certain privacy concerns – as with any new facet or experience of AI. For example: how much access would a user want AI to have to their personal data or the way they function on the device. However, Microsoft says the index is built and stored entirely on a user's device. Mehdi explains in his blog post: “Your snapshots are yours; they stay locally on your PC. You can delete individual snapshots, adjust and delete ranges of time in Settings, or pause at any point right from the icon in the System Tray on your Taskbar. You can also filter apps and websites from ever being saved. You are always in control with privacy you can trust."
How much will they cost?
In its official blog, Microsoft said the new PCs will be starting at $999 (approximately ₹83,000) and will begin to launch in June this year. Some models are already available for pre-order.
Apart from the Microsoft Surface (the two new Copilot+ PCs from Surface include the latest Surface Pro and Surface Laptop), Microsoft will work with PC manufacturers such as Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung to make these devices. Lenovo, for instance, has already announced the launch of the latest Yoga Slim 7x (starting price of $1,199 in the US) and ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 (starting price of $1,699 in the US) laptops – both CoPilot+ PCs.
Apart from Lenovo, the likes of Samsung (Galaxy Book4 Edge), Asus (Vivobook S 15), Dell (the XPS 13, Inspiron 14 Plus, Inspiron 14, Latitude 7455, and Latitude 5455) and HP will be releasing other new Copilot+ PCs.
Ready or not, the era of AI PCs is officially here, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.
