In the PC industry, every year is a big year for notebook computers. New processors emerged, form factors improved, and new connectivity standards and screen technologies were introduced. However, something truly momentous happened in 2024: i have a computer.
In fact, the first batch of AI PCs will begin to appear at the end of 2023 with the launch of Intel Core Ultra “Meteor Lake” processors and AMD Ryzen Mobile 7040 and 8040 series processors. These were the first mainstream notebook processors to not only integrate CPU and graphics processor but one Neural Processing Unit (NPU)designed specifically to accelerate AI tasks. Meanwhile, the Windows 11 23H2 update incorporates some Microsoft’s Copilot generates artificial intelligence Functions are integrated into the core operating system.
These early artificial intelligence computers didn’t gain that much momentum. Copilot’s AI computing focus is not on local processing capabilities, but on the cloud, resulting in most of the early NPUs being underutilized. More importantly, these NPUs are underpowered. if you plan to run Large language model For local (LL.M.) it would actually be better to use a laptop with RAM and a fast dedicated GPU.
Co-pilot+computer
Microsoft changed the game in May, launching Co-pilot+computer. Microsoft isn’t simply integrating generative AI capabilities into Windows 11but what is said and done, let the seventh generation Surface laptop and 11th generation Surface Pro Tablet flagship Copilot+ computer. Together with its new partner Qualcomm, it is driving the adoption of artificial intelligence capabilities and NPU support in third-party applications, while giving developers a stronger reason to make their software compatible with ARM64. Previous Surface devices have come in x86 and ARM64 versions, while the Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11 are entirely ARM versions.
The Copilot+ PC plan is very useful. Microsoft has set baseline requirements for reasonable on-device AI performance, including 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and an NPU capable of running at least 40 tera operations per second (TOPS). This gives buyers confidence that Copilot+ PCs will run new and future generative AI applications, while giving developers a performance target to work with. This means we’ll see more applications taking advantage of the NPU’s power, including Affinity Photo 2, Blender, DaVinci Resolve, Capture One, Cubase, and Nuendo. The Windows Copilot runtime and Windows Copilot libraries should also make it easier for more developers to perform the same operations, or for enterprises to support NPUs in their own custom business applications.
Microsoft Office and Copilot features Microsoft 365 Currently NPU is not used, but this may change with new features and updates. Additionally, in some areas, such as Microsoft’s Windows Studio Effects camera and audio enhancements, the NPU can enhance sound and image quality at a lower power consumption than software running on the CPU or GPU. This is good for battery life, and Microsoft and its partners are doing something similar with AI-enhanced security.
Best of all, the Copilot+ PC program features some of the most exciting laptops of the year. Surface Laptop 7, Surface Pro 11 and other devices Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x It’s a beautiful, thin, lightweight device with a big screen and high level of performance. Crucially, the Snapdragon X processor has proven to be incredibly efficient. These are the first Windows 11 devices to arrive MacBook Air Battery life levels. HP Omnibook X 14 Passed our video-lite test in a staggering 19 hours.
Needless to say, both Intel and AMD want a piece of the Copilot+ PC action and have released their own compatible processors over the past few months. Intel’s Core Ultra Series 200 processors and AMD’s Ryzen AI 300 Series processors both beat Qualcomm’s technology in terms of NPU performance and have faster integrated GPUs. What’s more, both Intel and AMD’s CPUs have shown similar improvements in energy efficiency. There’s just one problem: As of this writing in early December, Microsoft has yet to launch Copilot+ functionality and support for Intel and AMD devices.
AI PC market
Copilot+ has been a huge success in delivering new hardware. In sales? Not so much. Earlier this year, Gartner predicted that 43% of PCs sold in 2025 would be AI PCs, while HP CEO Enrique Lores predicted that AI PCs would account for 50% of PC shipments by 2027. According to data from Mercury Research and Canalysis, PCs with NPU currently account for 36% to 53% of PC shipments, but less than 10% of PCs sold in the third quarter of 2023 meet the NPU performance requirements of the Copilot+ PC specification.
Part of the reason is that the AI capabilities they offer today are not that compelling, especially for enterprises. We now use Copilot+ PC for work almost every day, but we hardly notice its artificial intelligence capabilities. In an age where online conferencing is ubiquitous, Windows Studio Effects is a plus, but other video and audio enhancements are also available. The generative AI image generation feature introduced by Copilot+ is more of a fun gimmick than a must-have feature. The controversial Recall feature, which allows users to search for snapshots of relevant content recorded directly from the screen, was immediately deemed a security nightmare by corporate IT departments and has yet to be widely released.
Meanwhile, Copilot’s most powerful generative AI capabilities on Microsoft 365 (narrative summarization, text generation, AI editing tools, and data analysis) still run in the cloud, regardless of whether the end user is working on a Copilot+ PC. They also require a Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription, which costs between £19 and £25.94 per month.
Microsoft also has competition. In May, Google announced its own generative AI initiative, combining Chromebook Plus Laptops equipped with Gemini AI technology. Many of the most powerful AI features still run in the cloud and require a £19-a-month Gemini Advanced subscription, but Google has done a good job integrating its Help Me Write Text Generation and Help Me Read AI Summary features into Chrome OS good and its google workspace Application. Usually just a click of a button or mouse. Google also has the advantage that the same service runs on Chromebook Plus devices, Workspace apps, and Pixel phones, and wisely bundles a year of Gemini Advanced with every Chromebook Plus purchase.
Apple has also introduced its own artificial intelligence technology, Apple Intelligence, to its already powerful line of Macbook laptops and laptops. mini computer pieces. The initial writing and summarizing tools and photo hunting and enhancement features have potential, even if the image and emoji generation features are more focused on consumers than professionals.
Will AI PC become the default?
Some analysts believe that AI PC will almost become the dominant PC. In September, Gartner’s Ranjit Atwal noted that “Most PCs will eventually incorporate AI NPU capabilities” And rather than “paying extra for AI capabilities, businesses will purchase AI PCs to future-proof their needs because it’s their only option to provide a more secure and private computing environment.”
But it’s also clear that Microsoft, along with Apple and Google, need to provide more compelling reasons for companies to invest in AI-powered computers, making AI a motivating factor beyond thinner, lighter form factors and longer batteries. Additional rewards beyond longevity. There’s evidence that it’s doing this, with Copilot+’s enhancements to Windows search and context-sensitive “click-to-go” suggestions that facilitate AI actions based on content on the screen. Adding NPU support in business-critical applications could also have an impact, especially in areas where enterprises have security or privacy concerns about using next-generation artificial intelligence in the cloud.
AI computers have the potential to be the next step in laptop evolution, but first, it needs more substance and perhaps a little less hype.