Microsoft showcases AI at Build conference
Microsoft's “Build” developer conference kicks off tomorrow, and as you might expect, the company plans to show off even more artificial intelligence projects.
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While people may enjoy the results of their personal makeovers, it's rare to see tried-and-true devices undergo the same kind of overhaul. But personal computers — and Windows-based laptops in particular — are about to get a major makeover, thanks to the debut of a new category that Microsoft and its key PC partners are calling Copilot+ PCs.
Copilot+ PC is a next-generation AI PC that combines a new hardware feature set with a new version of Windows to deliver a new experience for all types of PC users. Given the huge focus on AI these days, it's probably not surprising to hear that one of Copilot+ PC's key advancements is improving the performance of applications and services that use artificial intelligence. .
For example, a new feature called Recall included in the special version of Windows that Microsoft is releasing as part of this announcement essentially gives your PC comprehensive digital memory.
Recall lets you search for and scroll back through documents, Zoom calls, emails, or other work you've done on your machine in a much more effective way than traditional search functionality. Masu.
Remember discussing your next trip with a co-worker or family member, but can't remember exactly when and where it happened? Provide the exact context when.
But the benefits don't stop there. The first generation of these new Copilot+ laptops is based on a chip architecture from Arm (the same company that provides the underlying technology for the M-series chips found in today's MacBook Pro and MacBook Air). These chips are built by Qualcomm.
Chips make PC performance comparable to Macs
Powered by nearly every smartphone in the world, Arm-based designs are known for lower power consumption than common x86-based chips from companies like Intel and AMD. That means you get the latest Mac with the ultra-slim design, long battery life, and performance that so many people love.
However, given that all major vendors including Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Acer, Asus, and Microsoft (via their Surface product line) are actively participating in this industry-wide effort, Windows users will This allows for significantly more design and configuration options. It's better than anything Apple has ever offered.
Additionally, one of the key differentiators of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips at the heart of these new designs is the inclusion of a new component called the Neural Processing Unit (NPU). Best understood as an AI accelerator, an NPU is a new computer for PCs that is specifically designed to perform certain types of tasks much faster and more power-efficiently than the main processor or graphics chip alone. It's a component.
For example, it is this new NPU that enables features such as the aforementioned Recall. It can also be used to improve performance and power efficiency in video conferencing applications, content creation tools, gaming resolutions, and more. Most interestingly, it offers the ability to run several AI-powered generation applications directly on your PC, such as automatic text and image generation, without requiring an internet connection.
Some applications still require internet
Let's be clear: Popular AI applications like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Microsoft's Copilot will continue to require internet connectivity, and some of them will benefit initially from Copilot+ PC (if at all). Not often seen.
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But as these tools and web-based services mature and the number of Copilot+ PCs in people's hands increases, enterprises are expected to take advantage of the advanced processing power enabled by these new NPUs. Masu. In other words, you'll get AI-based performance out of the box from your new Copilot+ PC, and it'll get even better in the future as the concept of hybrid AI (the ability to use both cloud and local device capabilities) becomes more prevalent. Become. General.
At today's launch event, Microsoft announced that these new Copilot+ PCs will be priced starting at $999 and will be available for pre-order starting today. Shipping and in-store sales begin June 18th. In addition, each PC vendor announced the simultaneous launch of multiple different versions aimed at both consumers and businesses.
PCs, a device category with over 40 years of history, have seen many changes over the past few decades, and the launch of the new Copilot+ PC is arguably one of the biggest.
By making NPUs a new standard part of PC architectures, PCs can begin to take advantage of the incredible rapid growth in AI-based software and services, just in time for recent releases. Additionally, given that AI software development is still in its infancy, the great news about these Copilot+ PCs is that their performance and capabilities should improve over time. This is the kind of transformation everyone can appreciate.
USA TODAY columnist Bob O'Donnell is USA TODAY's president and chief analyst. technical analysis research, a market research and consulting firm. You can follow him on Twitter @bobodtech.
