Microsoft’s latest AI efforts involve the company partnering with OEMs to release AI PCs, which have integrated NPUs and a bunch of AI features built in. Copilot+ PCs are coming from chip makers such as Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm, but we have reasons to believe that, at least at first, Copilot+ PC features might remain exclusive to Qualcomm PCs.
Despite the fact that Microsoft’s upcoming AI features for Windows, such as Auto Super Resolution for enhanced gaming, are not limited to Qualcomm chips—Intel’s Lunar Lake and AMD’s Strix Point processors will also support these features—the first batch of commercially available Copilot+ PCs might have some, if not all, features initially available only on the Qualcomm models. Free software updates will be required to enable Microsoft’s Copilot+ AI features on these laptops, and it’s unclear if these updates will be released before the end of 2024. Statements from Microsoft, Intel, AMD, and Nvidia indicate that the rollout of Copilot+ experiences will happen through updates when available. Nothing like this was mentioned with the announcement of Qualcomm PCs, which is certainly odd.
It’s uncertain whether these capabilities will be available when new Copilot+ PCs from Intel and AMD launch this fall. All three Qualcomm rivals emphasize that their chips already support existing AI features and many more are in development from independent software companies. Why is this happening, you might ask? It’s not really clear, but we can speculate. Qualcomm-powered Copilot+ PCs are based on the ARM architecture, while Intel and AMD PCs are good old x86. It could be that most Copilot+ features aren’t quite ready for primetime on x86, despite the presence of an NPU, and they need a little more time in the oven.
This potential delay might not be an entirely negative thing, given that Microsoft is still addressing the security concerns around the Recall feature on Copilot+ PCs, which takes automatic screenshots and scans the contents for AI-powered searches. All things considered, you’re probably better off waiting. We don’t know how most AI features will work once they roll out, for starters, and even when they do, they might still need some polishing as it’s usually the case with any large-scale AI product launch.
Source: The Verge
